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Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach
Brobbey, M. S. 2025. Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [onli...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614118651887616 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Brobbey, Mensah Sarpong |
| author2 | Gorgens, Johann Ferdinand |
| author_browse | Brobbey, Mensah Sarpong Gorgens, Johann Ferdinand |
| author_facet | Gorgens, Johann Ferdinand Brobbey, Mensah Sarpong |
| author_sort | Brobbey, Mensah Sarpong |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Brobbey, M. S. 2025. Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/ef17bfaa-d4ea-4fd3-b8d6-33f899e64633 |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132149 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:46:57.306Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132149 Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach Brobbey, Mensah Sarpong Gorgens, Johann Ferdinand Louw, Jeanne Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Engineering. Dept. of Chemical Engineering. Sugar trade -- South Africa Acrylic acid Biomass chemicals Fossil fuels UCTD Brobbey, M. S. 2025. Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/ef17bfaa-d4ea-4fd3-b8d6-33f899e64633 Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The unfavourable effects of fossil resource on the climate have prompted research into the using biomass as a sustainable carbon source to meet market demands for energy and chemicals. In South Africa, sugarcane processing generates large mass of lignocellulose, which can be used to produce products with reduced carbon footprint. The South African sugar industry faces challenges due to fluctuating sugar prices and aging infrastructure which can be salvaged by annexing a biorefinery to the sugar mills. The study explored using A-molasses (1G) and lignocellulose (2G) from the sugarcane mill to produce acrylic acid (AA) with a projected market value of US$ 20 billion for 2031 and propylene glycol (PG) at US$ 7.6 billion by 2032 via alternative chemical intermediates. Single biorefinery scenarios annexed to a sugar mill were modelled in Aspen Plus® software, to convert A-molasses to AA or PG via lactic acid (LA), glycerol and 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) or sorbitol as sugar-derived chemical intermediates. The study showed LA as the most economically viable intermediate for AA or PG production, with MSPs of 2,059 US$.t-1 and 1,991 US$.t-1, respectively. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission also showed LA was the preferred intermediate for such single-product, single-site biorefineries, with emissions of 4.4 kgCO2/kgAA and 1.24 kgCO2/kgPG for AA and PG respectively. The attractiveness of LA as intermediate stems from high yields of LA on the available sugar and was investigated on different scales by combining feedstock from multiple sugar mills, using Monte Carlo type financial analysis and a cradle-to-gate life cycle analysis (LCA). The increased production scales using multiple mills reduced the MSP for LA monomers to a range of 849–1,048 US$.t-1, was lower than the market price of about 1,700 and 1,302 US$.t-1 for the single-mill scenario and with internal rates of return (IRRs) of 31 - 65%. The combination of feedstocks from multiple mills for LA production resulted in global warming potentials (GWPs) of 0.88-0.95 kgCO2-eq/kgLA compared to 0.87 kgCO2-eq/kgLA for single-mill monomeric LA production. The potential of LA to serve as a platform chemical was investigated by developing five multiproduct scenarios with co-production of AA, PG, ethyl lactate (EL) and/or polylactic acid (PLA) production in a centralised facility, receiving A-molasses from five sugarcane mills. Co-production of EL, PLA and AA in such a facility was financially most attractive with an IRR of 27% and GWP of 0.84 kgCO2eq/kg of A-molasses. Although the multi-product scenario was financially viable, the IRR was lower compared to LA production only, despite adopting the best-known conversion methods for LA into EL, PLA, PG or AA; price premiums of more than 50% for AA or PG are required for the multi-product biorefinery to be equally attractive to monomeric LA production. The findings for the study underscore the opportunity for sugarcane biorefineries to produce and sell monomeric LA as a preferred product, whereas further valourisation into AA, PG, EL and/or PLA is not recommended. Producing LA as a platform-chemical will give the sugar industry the flexibility of adapting to changing global markets and penetrating different market segments as these continue to develop. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar. Doctoral 2025-05-28T05:45:48Z 2025-05-28T05:45:48Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132149 en Stellenbosch University xiii, 381 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Sugar trade -- South Africa Acrylic acid Biomass chemicals Fossil fuels UCTD Brobbey, Mensah Sarpong Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach |
| title | Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach |
| title_full | Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach |
| title_fullStr | Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach |
| title_short | Techno-economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid, propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach |
| title_sort | techno economic and environmental analyses to identify preferred sugarcane biorefinery scenarios to produce acrylic acid propylene glycol and associated chemicals in a multiproduct platform approach |
| topic | Sugar trade -- South Africa Acrylic acid Biomass chemicals Fossil fuels UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132149 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT brobbeymensahsarpong technoeconomicandenvironmentalanalysestoidentifypreferredsugarcanebiorefineryscenariostoproduceacrylicacidpropyleneglycolandassociatedchemicalsinamultiproductplatformapproach |