Lactic acid is an important pharmaceutical product that is manufactured by fermentation of glucose. To separate the lactic acid from the biomass, filtration followed by centrifugation is employed. A mix containing 23% by mass lactic acid enters the filtration unit at the rate of 6,366 kg/hour. After filtration, the sludge of lactic acid/biomass contains 12 % by mass lactic acid and the filtrate itself contains 100% lactic acid by mass. The sludge then goes to the centrifuge where the solids generated contain 8% lactic acid by mass and the liquid portion stream has 100% lactic acid by mass. Calculate mass flow rate in kg/hour of the stream  leaving the filtration unit containing pure lactic acid.

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