Solution to the Ricin Problem

Group No. 02

Members :
• Vaishnavi Bhalekar 18CHE106
• Aditya Gedam 18CHE107
• Tanvi Varadkar 18CHE108
• Aniruddha Pinjari 18CHE109
• Akanksha Chougule 18CHE110
 ● DISCUSSION ●
1) What is the scale of the process? What capacity is required?
Ans- Small scale process, we are taking a feed of 100kg.
 
2) Is a catalyst necessary or desirable? If a catalyst is employed, what are the ramifications
with respect to product distribution, operating conditions, most desirable type of reactor,
process economics, and other pertinent questions raised below?
Ans- No. Not as such.
 
3) What operating conditions (temperature, pressure, degree of agitation, etc.) are required
for most economical operation?
Ans- T=30 degree celcius ; P=1atm
No agitation is done as it degrades our fungus
 
4) Is it necessary or desirable to add inerts or other materials to the feedstock to enhance
yields of desired products, to moderate thermal effects, or to prolong the useful life of any
catalysts that may be employed?
Ans- We add molasses as a nutrient source for the growth of fungi.
 
5) Should the process be continuous or intermittent? Would batch or semibatch operation
be advantageous?
Ans- Batch Process

6) What type of reactor best meets the process requirements? Are there advantages
associated with the use of a combination of reactor types or multiple reactors in parallel or
series?
Ans- Tray type Bioreactor best meets our requirements
 
7) How are the energy transfer requirements for the process best accomplished? Should
one operate isothermally, adiabatically, or in accord with an alternative temperature
protocol?
Ans- For good heat transfer we use the method of forced air convection. Incoming Air
which is 90% saturated with water vapour is passed with the help of compressor. Energy is
required for that.
 
8) What are the reactor effluent composition and conditions? Are any chemical separation
steps or physical operations required to obtain an effluent that is satisfactory for the
desired and use?
Ans- Drying and further Pulverization of dried mass is required.
 Basic Process Idea

• Mixing of the feed in a mill

• Solid State Fermentation using Aspergillus Niger
• Tray drying to reduce the moisture content and kill the fungus
• Further pulverisation

Pulverisation
Paddle Drying
mill Bioreactor in Tray Product
dryer
 Bioreactor
• We decided to use the bioreactor
called “Plafractor” for Solid state
fermentation
• It is a reactor which has numerous
modules/trays inside it
• Each tray has a cross sectional area
of 22600cm2 and can carry 20kg of
the feed
• Time= 48Hrs
• Ricin is observed to reduce below 2%
of cake mass which is well within the
safe level
 Composition of the feed
 • Castor seed cake(density=371.4kg/m3)
• Water(48.5%w/w of dry cake, density=1000kg/m3)
• Molasses(6.25%w/w of dry cake, density=1400kg/m3)
• 10^7 spores of A.Niger/g of dry cake
Since the feed in each module can be 20kg in total,
by mass balance it comes to:
• 13kg castor cake
• 6.3kg water
• 0.8kg molasses
• spores
 Physical conditions in the Reactor

 •Temperature in the reactor is maintained at 30(due to emission of

metabolic heat by fungi)
• Air used for aeration is 90% saturated at the inlet at 30
• Atmospheric pressure is 1atm
 Design of module

 • Area of cross section=22600cm2(given)

• Density of the total feed==477.7kg/m3  =1

.7
m

• Height of tray==
=1.8cm2cm

• Diameter of the module==1.7m

 Downstream Processing

For downstream processing, there can be two processes

1) Drying
2) Leaching

Here, we have chosen Drying over Leaching. If we choose

leaching then it should get followed by drying. So, instead of
doing both operations we have chosen drying for downstream
processing
 
Drying

The moist fermented solid Castor cake can be dried under controlled
conditions to about 8% moisture content at 50-60 or even lower,
depending on product stability. They are then pulverized, screened and
stored in suitable containers for future use. For heating purpose we can
use tray dryers fitted with temperature control system. The dryer
consists of a drying chamber with perforated trays that are arranged
vertically and placed horizontally in a plenum chamber. The axial fan
blows air through the plenum chamber over the heating elements. The
air gets heated and enters the drying chamber where it picks moisture
from the product being dried and discharged through the air outlet.
Calculations
From the Graphs given in the research paper, data of moisture
content and drying time is extracted and from that data again
graph is plotted and found out the values of Critical Moisture
Content, Equilibrium Moisture Content and drying rate at Critical
Moisture Content.
Ws = mass of dry solid (Castor Cake);
a = Exposed area of solid (Castor Cake);
Xi = Initial moisture content;
Xf = Final moisture content at time t;
Nc = Drying rate at Critical Moisture Content;
X*= Equilibrium Moisture Content
XC = Critical Moisture Content
 
For the Solid State fermentation of Castor cake by using Aspergillus Niger,

Total Initial feed =100kg [65kg (castor cake) + 31kg (water) + 4kg (Molasses)]

Total initial moisture Content = Xi = 31.88% (including moisture content of

Molasses which is 22% for 0.8kg)

Final Moisture Content = Xf = 8%

Critical Moisture Content = XC = 16.1 %

Equilibrium Moisture Content = X* = 5.6%

Mass of dry castor cake = Ws = 65kg

Calculated Area of Castor cake exposed to drying = a = 1130m2

Drying rate at Critical Moisture Content = Nc = 0.00748 kg/m2min

 Drying time for solid is given by,

 
Thus,
Drying Time = t =

Drying Time = t = 240.52min

 
Therefore, the time required to dry the fermented castor cake is approximately 4 hours.
After drying, pulverization to be done for making it suitable as animal feed.
 
Thus,
Drying Time = t=

Drying Time = t = 240.52min

 
Therefore, the time required to dry the fermented castor cake is approximately 4 hours.
After drying, pulverization to be done for making it suitable as animal feed.
 
 COST ANALYSIS
• Fixed cost – labour, maintenance and depreciation dominates the cost structure.
• The recovery yield influences the total manufacturing cost in a linear manner.
• If the recovery yield can be increased, the total manufacturing cost decreases
proportionately.
• The annual contribution of maintenance and depreciation is assumed at 15% on
fixed assets, equipment and buildings, battery limit.
• Batch cycle and capacity utilization determine the volume productivity.
• The fermenter yield represents the most critical parameter concerning the
manufacturing cost of a fermentation product.
• With increasing yield, the manufacturing cost decreases following an exponential
curve.
 Substance Cost in Rs.per kg
caster cake 16
water(for industrial use) 16
molasses 10
Aspergillus Niger 10000

In our case to make 5 modules in reactor

Input Cost = [13*16+ 16*6.3 0.8*10] = Rs. 1,584
 REFERENCES :

• Biotechnology for industrial production of fine chemicals, CHIMIA 50

(September,1996)
• I.J. Nicholson, P. Latham, Biotechnology 1994, I2,473
• Commercialization of a Novel Fermentation; Concept: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw1,
Shrikumar Suryanarayan
• Bioreactor designs for solid state fermentation, A. Durand- Platform for
Development in Biotechnology, UMR-INRA 1082 (IBQ), 17 Rue Sully, Dijon
21065, France
• Simultaneous allergen inactivation and detoxification of castor bean cake
by treatment with calcium compounds
• T. Yokotsuka, In: Microbiology of Fermented Food, ed. B.J.B. Wood, Vol. 1.
Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London (1985) 197
• Thin-layer drying characteristics of castor (ricinus communis) seeds-J.O.
Ojediran1 and Abdulganiy O. Raji
THANK YOU !!