High Yield to 1-Propanol from Crude Glycerol Using Two Reaction Steps with Ni Catalysts

GATTI, MARTÍN N.; CERIONI, JULIETA L.; POMPEO, FRANCISCO; SANTORI, GERARDO F.; NICHIO, NORA N.

Catalysts

MDPI

Año: 2020 vol. 10

The objective of the present work is to achieve high yield to 1-propanol (1-POH) bycrude glycerol hydrogenolysis in liquid phase and find an alternative to the use of noble metalsby employing Ni catalysts. Two Ni catalysts with different supports, alumina (γ-Al2O3), and aphosphorous-impregnated carbon composite (CS-P) were studied and characterized in order todetermine their acid properties and metallic phases. With the Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst, which presentedsmall particles of metallic Ni interacting with the acid sites of the support, it was possible to obtain acomplete conversion of crude glycerol with high selectivity towards 1,2-propylene glycol (1,2 PG)(87%) at 220 ◦C whereas with the Ni/CS-P catalyst, the presence of AlPOx species and the Ni2P metallic phase supplied acidity to the catalyst, which promoted the C-O bond cleavage reaction of thesecondary carbon of 1,2 PG to obtain 1-POH with very high selectivity (71%) at 260 ◦C. It was foundthat the employment of two consecutive reaction stages (first with Ni/ γ-Al2O3 at 220 ◦C and thenwith Ni/CS-P at 260 ◦C) allows reaching levels of selectivity and a yield to 1-POH (79%) comparableto noble metal-based catalysts.