Integrating Inherent Safety into Sustainable Avocado Oil Production: A NuDIST-Based Assessment of Solvent Extraction

Growing industrial interest in avocado oil manufacturing has increased the need to evaluate not only process performance but also the inherent safety associated with extraction operations. This work evaluates the inherent safety of an industrial avocado oil production route using the Numerical Descriptive Inherent Safety Technique (NuDIST). The assessment integrates the physicochemical properties of the involved chemicals with process operating conditions and process performance data. Chemical hazards were quantified based on these properties, whereas process safety was characterized through operating temperature, pressure, heat of reaction, and material inventory. The resulting Chemical Safety Total Score (CSTS) reached 87.34, while the Process Safety Total Score (PSTS) was 101.07, yielding an overall NuDIST score of 188.40. The analysis identified hexane flammability as the principal contributor to chemical hazard, whereas toxicity, explosiveness, and reactivity had comparatively minor contributions. For process safety, material inventory was the dominant factor, whereas operating temperature, pressure, and reaction heat contributed only marginally. Overall, the inherent safety of the evaluated production route was governed primarily by solvent flammability and process inventory rather than by severe operating conditions or reaction-related effects. These findings suggest that improving extraction performance, minimizing hazardous inventories, intensifying the process, or adopting alternative extraction technologies could further enhance the inherent safety of industrial avocado oil production.