A Mixed Integer Programming Model of the Logistics of Sulfuric Acid in Chile

Abstract

The logistics of sulfuric acid in Chile have become increasingly important as stricter environmental laws are enacted and enforced. Large copper companies are very concerned about this problem since they are both producers and consumers of sulfuric acid. Since storing, shipping and disposing of sulfuric acid is relatively expensive, there is a strong incentive for optimizing its logistics. This paper describes a model developed for the largest copper producer in Chile to analyze, at a strategic level, the problem of the logistics of sulfuric acid in Chile.