Optimization of green solvent ethyl lactate production process

Petroleum-based solvents have been widely used in various industrial processes and chemical production. The green solvent ethyl lactate (EL), which holds an advantageous position in the chemical industry, has provided an alternative to conventional petroleum-derived solvents. Ethyl lactate is a biologically degradable, renewable and environmentally friendly compound, applied in various processes and applications within the chemical industry. The production processes of ethyl lactate can be classified into conventional and innovative methods. In the innovative approach, process intensification techniques are employed. Research aimed at further developing these innovative methods is ongoing. In this study, the optimization of the intensified production process of ethyl lactate was carried out with the aim of enhancing both environmental and economic sustainability. The design and simulation of the ethyl lactate production process using a reactive distillation column were modeled in simulation software. Based on this model, optimizations were subsequently performed in the MATLAB. Using one of the Meta-Heuristic optimization algorithms, the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm, the optimal values for process parameters-including total number of stages, feed temperatures, feed stages, reaction start and finished stages, reflux ratio, side-stream molar fraction, condenser duty, and side-stream withdrawal stages-were determined, resulting in the production of both lower energy consumption and higher purity. According to the optimization results, the innovative design achieved an 8% reduction in energy consumption of the reactive distillation column. The separation of ethanol and water in the second distillation column was accomplished without any chemical additives, while maintaining the same level of energy consumption. These findings demonstrate that the energy efficiency of ethyl lactate production processes can be improved while minimizing environmental impacts.