Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering A 6 (2017) 90-97 doi:10.17265/2162-5298/2017.02.005 Development of Physical and Chemical Processes to Increase the Efficiency of Concentration of Vinasse’s Solids Pietro Sica 1 , Antonio Sampaio Baptista 1 , Keshav Das 2 and Jose Piotrovski 3 1. Department of Food Sciences (LAN) of Escola Superior de Agricultura «Luiz de Queiroz» (ESALQ), University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, Sao Paulo 13416398, Brazil 2. Driftmier Engineering Center,. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA 3. Tractebel, Agronomica, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina 88025-255, Brazil Abstract: Each year, ethanol production is increasing in Brazil, consequently, the generation of byproducts as well. Among these, the vinasse stands out. With polluting power a hundred times greater than domestic sewage and high concentration of minerals, vinasse is generated in large volumes. Because of these characteristics, it is widely used in fertirrigation. However, it is composed of about 97% water, inflating the cost of the transport from the plant to the field. For these reasons, removing water from the vinasse and the consequent concentration of solids is an alternative management and application of this by-product. This project aimed to analyze the efficiency of various physical and chemical processes in the removal of water from the vinasse. Key words: Vinasse, byproduct treatment, physical and chemical treatments, sugarcane mill, sustainable development. 1. Introduction In recent decades, global energy policy is increasingly focused on renewable energy sources, seeking to reduce negative impacts on the environment in pursuit of sustainable development. In this aspect, Brazil has been highlighted in the production of biofuels, because is the country with the highest production of ethanol from sugarcane in the world. According to UNICA (Sugarcane Industry Union) [1], in the season 2015-2016, 590 million tons of sugarcane was processed in Brazil’s center south region, producing about 30.3 billion liters of ethanol. In addition, the Ten Year PDE (Plan for Energy Expansion, 2022), from the MME (Ministry of Mines and Energy) [2], predicts that Brazilian Ethanol production could double by the year of 2022, reaching 57.3 billion liters. Corresponding author: Pietro Sica, undergrad, main research field: environmental sciences. The sugarcane industry is known for generating large amount of waste. In 2006, Jendiroba, E., et al. [3] said the industry developed by resizing the removal of waste in proportion to their generation, being impractical storage of such waste during the harvest. In this sense, Godoy, S. G. M. [4] points out that, if the waste is well managed, it will reduce production costs, improve the company’s image and business prospects and mainly reduce the risk of environmental damage. According to Rossetto, A. J. [5], vinasse, stillage or distillery syrup is resulted by the ethanol production. The amount of vinasse produced by the distillery is due to the alcohol percentage obtained from the fermentation, ranging from 10 to 18 liters of vinasse per liter of ethanol produced. Moreover, according to Szymanski, M. S. E., Balbinot, R. and Nagel, W. [6], the steady increase in the ethanol production in Brazil is causing the increase in the generation of this by-product. Thus, in the 2015/2016 season, it can be D DAVID PUBLISHING