Supply chain optimization for chemical and biochemical processes

The optimal design of conversion processes is highly relevant for the chemical and biochemical industries, besides the determination of optimal operation policies. However, the selection of an adequate strategy to distribute the raw materials to the facilities and the products to the markets, i.e., the supply chain, is indispensable to ensure the economic feasibility of the macroscopic production scheme. In this chapter, the importance of the optimization of supply chains for chemical and biochemical processes is described. The use of logic-based and mixed-integer models to represent and optimize supply chains is discussed. Guidelines to properly select the objective function are presented, grouping the objectives as economic, environmental, and social functions. Finally, an example of the modeling and optimization of a supply chain for the conversion of glycerol into valuable derivatives is discussed. © 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH.