Design of a Processor for the Production of 30,000 Tons of Caustic Potash per Anum from Cocoa Pod Husk

I. A. Daniyan, A. O. Adeodu, D. F. Adewumi

Abstract: A caustic potash processor capable of processing 30, 000 tons of caustic potash per anum from cocoa pod husk was designed. It essentially consist of storage tank, fluidized bed dryer, rotary dryer operating at a temperature of 1100C for drying the feed, roll crusher which reduces the husks into smaller sizes and a furnace operated an elevated temperature to ensure proper ashing. The processor also consists of a reactor where leaching: the major process involved in the production of caustic potash from cocoa pod husk takes place. The reactor is lagged and heated internally after which an evaporator fired by a boiler is employed to concentrate the KOH solution. The water vapour leaving the evaporator condenses in the condenser and is recycled to the boiler. A detailed energy and material balance as well as analysis of process control system and instrumentation was also carried out to keep process variable within known safe operating limits in order to achieve the designed production rate and maintain the caustic potash within the desired specification at an optimal production cost.

Keywords: Ashing, Energy and material balance, Furnace, Husk, Lagging, Leaching