Prarancangan Pabrik Pembuatan Asam Glukonat melalui Proses Fermentasi Glukosa Hasil Hidrolisis Pati Singkong dengan Kapasitas 9.500 Ton/Tahun

Abstract

Gluconic acid is a multifunctional organic compound widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and construction industries. The demand for gluconic acid in Indonesia continues to increase and is currently still met through imports. On the other hand, North Sumatra has abundant cassava availability as a starch source that can be hydrolyzed into glucose, the raw material for gluconic acid production. This thesis aims to design a Preliminary Design of a Gluconic Acid Production Plant Using Fermentation Process of Glucose from Cassava Starch Hydrolysis with a Capacity of 9,500 Tons/Year. The plant is planned to be located in Pagar Merbau II District, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra. The production process consists of cassava preparation and pre-treatment (washing, cutting, milling, and starch separation), starch hydrolysis into glucose using sulfuric acid catalyst, fermentation of glucose into gluconic acid with the help of Aspergillus niger enzyme (katalase), as well as product purification and crystallization. From mass and energy balance calculations, the required cassava raw material is 3,855.91 kg/hour and produces the main product, gluconic acid, at 1,199.49 kg/hour with 95% purity. Economic analysis shows that the plant is feasible to establish with an estimated Return on Investment (ROI) of 23,19% and a Pay Out Time (POT) of 4,31 years. This preliminary design is expected to serve as a reference for the development of a local raw material-based gluconic acid industry in Indonesia.