Scaling up of Catalytic Processes to Valorize Glycerol in a Biorefinery Scheme

COMELLI, RAÚL A.; GARCÍA TOUZA, DIEGO

Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Jornada; BioArgentina 2018; 2018

Glycerol, the co-product in biodiesel production, is an intermediary for the synthesis of a large number of compounds for industry. The problem of its increasing availability is not resolved by adopting a monoproduct strategy, as this one would become the new problem; consequently, the solution must have a diversification approach and the concept of Biorefinery can be applied. In this context, since 2007, catalytic processes have been developed to convert, by a sustainable way, glycerol into industrially applicable compounds with high added-value, such as dihydroxyacetone (DHA), acetol, propylene glycol (PG), ethylene glycol (EG), 1,3 -propanediol, lactic acid, glycerol carbonate, and methanol, as well as compounds with energetic use such as hydrogen, synthesis gas, and ethers of glycerol. Reactions of selective oxidation and reduction, steam reforming, hydrogenolysis, and glycerol carbonilation were studied, showing the possible integration of processes in a biorefinery environment. Feeding only glycerol and integrating processes it is possible to obtain: DHA, acetol, PG, EG, lactic acid, glycerol carbonate, hydrogen, synthesis gas, carbon dioxide, methane, and methanol. Three catalysts were developed and patented: for selective oxidation to DHA, selective reduction to PG, and hydrogenolysis to EG. In addition, from a strong link with the productive sector, financing was obtained to build two pilot plants, one to produce 100 tn/year of PG but versatile to also produce acetol and/or EG, and another one for reforming glycerol to obtain hydrogen, which is raw material for selective reductions. Both plants would be in operation during 2019. Finally, given the feasibility of carrying out some of these transformations through biological ways, joint/complementary work is being carried out with biotechnological training groups, since in the short-medium term the chemical-catalytic processes will give the answers to the demands but in the medium-long one the solution will migrate to biotechnological routes.