Effective utilisation of cassava bio-wastes through integrated process design: A sustainable approach to indirect waste management

• Integrated optimised process design for cassava biowastes minimisation was proposed.
• Individual process models were developed, optimised and integrated in the design.
• Integrated SRRC design (ISD) using intact root leads to zero environmental waste disposal.
• ISD capacity eliminates total cyanogens and ensures human and environment safety.
• Development of packaging materials is compatible with, and integrated in the ISD.

An integrated process design, which can be applied in small-to-medium batch processing, was proposed. The process is based on the exploitation of intact (whole) cassava root, through optimisation of simultaneous release recovery cyanogenesis downstream processing for sustainable wastes minimisation and packaging material development.An integrative seven unit process model flow was considered in the process design modelling. Using the release process models, it was possible to predict the maximum yield (45.8%) and the minimum total cyanogens (0.6 ppm) and colour difference (4.0) needed to avoid wastes and unsafe biopolymer derivatives. The process design allowed saving on the energy and water due to its ability to reuse wastewaters in the reactions and release processes. Drying rates, Scanning electron micrograph, Differential scanning calorimetry, Water vapour transmission rate and Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy analyses have demonstrated the practical advantage of laminar flow hood air systems over oven-drying heat for integrated process design.Thus, the integrated process design could be used as a green tool in production of cassava products with near zero environmental waste disposal.

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