Glycerol as raw materila of biorefinery

LISANDRO R. FERRARI; FERNANDO E. TULER; EZEQUIEL PROMANCIO; LEONARDO GUSE; D. GARCÍA TOUZA; CARLOS CASAS; COMELLI, RAÚL ALBERTO

Puerto Vallarta

Congreso; XXVII Congreso Iberoamericano de Catálisis; 2020

Glycerol, co-product in the biodiesel process, can be fed as raw material to the biorefinery. Reactions of selective oxidation and reduction, and steam reforming of glycerol were studied to produce added-value chemicals and energetic compounds, and also showing the possible integration of processes in a framework of biorefinery. The selective oxidation of glycerol in liquid phase produces: i) d ihydroxyacetone (DHA) on Pt-Bi/H-FER reaching 75.9% conversion and 93.9% DHA selectivity; and ii) lactic acid on Cu/Al2O3 having 89.6% conversion and 87.0% selectivity. The selective reduction of glycerol in gas phase produces: i) propyleneglycol (PG) reaching Cu-Ce/Al2O3 99.8% conversion and 83.2% PG selectivity; and ii) ethylene glycol (EG) reaching Ni/SiO2 100% conversion and 60% EG selectivity in the liquid fraction. These reduction reactions demand hydrogen, which can be obtained by steam reforming of glycerol using Ni/Al2O3 catalysts, promoted by adding compounds as Ce, Co, Mg, and Zr; the steam reforming also produces carbon oxides and methane, being possible to use syngas and methane as energetic compounds and carbon dioxide to carbonylation. Consequently, feeding only glycerol and integrating processes it is possible to obtain DHA, PG, EG, acetol, hydrogen, syngas, carbon dioxide, and methane. Two pilot plants are in the final step of construction.