We analyze a process for production of 5-nonanone (dibutyl ketone, DBK) from levulinic acid (LA) which is a biobased platform chemical that can be produced in large quantities from a variety of lignocellulosic biomass sources. The techno-economic analysis is based on a catalytic pathway developed in lab scale. The final product (DBK) has applications as an industrial solvent and serves as a platform chemical for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels in the diesel and gasoline ranges. A detailed process model has been created for two different product purity levels (90% and 99%). Process economics have been studied in a discounted cash flow analysis to analyze the viability of production and relative product purification costs. The modeled process utilizes 480 metric ton/day of LA feedstock to produce 194 metric ton/day of DBK along with other by-products. Sensitivity analysis is used to identify the impact of key parameters on the minimum selling price of product. Thus, the price of the feedstock (LA) and the DBK final yield were found to be the most sensitive parameters affecting the final price of the product. With the current LA market price ($3.2 per kg) and the experimental yield of 66%, the minimum selling price estimated for a high purity DBK was $8.5 per kg, comparable to the current DBK purchase price ($9.07 per kg) but still quite high compared to the price of a typical petroleum-derived solvent such as methyl ethyl ketone ($0.77 per kg). Further improvements on the lab scale to increase the yield of DBK, and the use of inexpensive LA from the patented Biofine process, would allow the production of DBK at competitive prices for chemical and fuel applications. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.