Vapour phase hydrogenolysis of glicerol to 1,2 propanediol over Cu/Al2O3 catalyst at ambient hydrogen pressure

M L DIEUZEIDE; MATIAS JOBBAGY; AMADEO NORMA

INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMICAL RESEARCH

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2016 vol. 55 p. 2527 - 2533

0888-5885

In this paper we report that the hydrogenolysis of glycerol can be carried out at atmospheric pressure and low temperature with high selectivity to 1-2 PDO, over reduced copper catalyst. The vapour phase reaction was performed over the copper based catalysts supported on alumina at ambient pressure and the effects of temperature, space time and H2 molar fraction in the feed were analysed. The textural and structural characteristics of the catalysts with increasing copper loading were determined by N2 sorptometry (BET), inductively coupled plasma-atomic spectroscopy (ICP-AES), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), temperature programmed reduction (TPR), N2O chemisorption (metallic area). Based both on characterization and activity results, it was possible to conclude that the hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propanediol in vapour phase at atmospheric pressure over copper based catalysts, is a structure sensitive reaction. Activity results suggests that the most probable pathway for the glycerol conversion into 1,2 propanediol under the employed conditions is: glycerol is dehydration to hydroxyacetone (acetol), followed by its hydrogenation into 1,2 propanediol.Complete glycerol conversion and a selectivity of 60% to 1,2- propanediol was achieved, using CuO(15)Al2O3 catalyst at 200ºC, H2 molar fraction of 61% and atmospheric pressure