Inherent safety assessment of a topology for total use of shrimp under the concept of biorefinery: Evaluación de la seguridad inherente de una topología para el aprovechamiento integral del camarón bajo el concepto de biorefinería

Abstract

This research focused on the safety analysis of a pilot-scale shrimp-based biorefinery, using the Inherent Safety Index (ISI) method, in order to determine potential risks and opportunities for improvement in the process design. The selected method is based on inherent safety by seeking to eliminate and reduce risks. It analyzes hazards associated with chemicals and process conditions covering several safety aspects. The chemical approach encompasses the heat released by the reactions, the chemical interaction between substances, their toxicity, explosiveness, flammability, and corrosivity while the operational approach focuses on the amount of inventory handled, maximum working temperature and pressure, equipment safety, and the process structure. In all cases, subindexes were determined considering the worst possible scenario. The results show that the biorefinery is inherently safe by obtaining an ISI of 21 points, with chemical and process safety indices of 15 and 6, respectively. The indicators that stood out were the heat of reaction associated with the deacetylation of chitin as it is highly exothermic, and the flammability of acetone as the most dangerous substance in the process.