Abstract
Worldwide, the most widely consumed avocado variety is Persea Americana Mill., commonly known as Hass avocado. While the pulp is extensively used, the seed is typically treated as agro-industrial waste despite its high content of bioactive compounds and its potential for value-added applications. In this study, the valorization of Hass avocado seed cultivated in the Colombian Amazon was evaluated through the modeling and simulation of a cascade biorefinery aimed at producing starch, biopolymer films, and biocontrol agents. The process was simulated in Aspen Plus V15, considering regional conditions and a processing capacity of 255.92 t/y. The model integrates stages of seed conditioning, extraction, separation, and product formulation, using appropriate thermodynamic approaches for multicomponent systems. The results showed yields of 1.66% for starch, 5.76% for biofilm, and 10.94% for the biocontrol agent, with an overall yield of 18.37%. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of integral biomass utilization under a cascade approach. The study provides key insights into process conditions for industrial-scale implementation, highlighting the potential of avocado seed as a strategic resource to promote circular bioeconomy models and reduce agro-industrial waste.
