Microwave Assisted Solvent-Free Catalytic Transesterification of Glycerol to Glycerol Carbonate
As a by-product of the biodiesel industries, glycerol
has been vastly generated which surpasses the market demand. It is
imperative to develop an efficient glycerol valorization processes in
minimizing the net energy requirement and intensifying the biodiesel
production. In this study, base-catalyzed transesterification of
glycerol with dimethyl carbonate using microwave irradiation as
heating method to produce glycerol carbonate was conducted by
varying grades of glycerol, i.e. 70%, 86% and 99% purity, that is
obtained from biodiesel plant. Metal oxide catalysts were used with
varying operating parameters including reaction time, DMC/glycerol
molar ratio, catalyst weight %, temperature and stirring speed. From
the study on the effect of different operating parameters it was found
that the type of catalyst used has the most significant effect on the
transesterification reaction. Amidst the metal oxide catalysts
examined, CaO gave the best performance. This study indicates the
feasibility of producing glycerol carbonate using different grade of
glycerol in both conventional thermal activation and microwave
irradiation with CaO as catalyst. Microwave assisted
transesterification (MAT) of glycerol into glycerol carbonate has
demonstrated itself as an energy efficient route by achieving 94.2%
yield of GC at 65°C, 5 minutes reaction time, 1 wt% CaO and
DMC/glycerol molar ratio of 2. The advantages of MAT
transesterification route has made the direct utilization of bioglycerol
from biodiesel production without the need of purification. This has
marked a more economical and less-energy intensive glycerol
carbonate synthesis route.
[1] Yang, F., M.A. Hanna, and R. Sun, Value-added uses for crude glycerol-
-a byproduct of biodiesel production. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 2012.
5(1): p. 1-10.
[2] Quispe, C.A.G., C.J.R. Coronado, and J.A. Carvalho Jr, Glycerol:
Production, consumption, prices, characterization and new trends in
combustion. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2013. 27(0):
p. 475-493.
[3] Nguyen, N., Economic Analysis of Biodiesel and Glycerol Carbonate
Production Plant by Glycerolysis. Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy
Systems, 2013. 3(03): p. 209.
[4] Teng, W.K., et al., A review on the performance of glycerol carbonate
production via catalytic transesterification: Effects of influencing
parameters. Energy Conversion and Management, 2014. 88(0): p. 484-
497.
[5] Patil, P.D., et al., Microwave-Assisted Catalytic Transesterification of
Camelina Sativa Oil. Energy & Fuels, 2009. 24(2): p. 1298-1304.
[6] SDA. Glycerine—An Overview. The Soap and Detergent Association,
Glycerine and Oleochemical Division, 1990, 27.
[7] Perry, R. H., Green, D. W., & Maloney, J. O., 2008. Perry's chemical
engineers' handbook (Vol. 7): McGraw-Hill New York.
[8] Gude, V., et al., Microwave energy potential for biodiesel production.
Sustainable Chemical Processes, 2013. 1(1): p. 5-36.
[9] Pan, S., et al., Transesterification of Glycerol with Dimethyl Carbonate
to Glycerol Carbonate over Na–based Zeolites. Chinese Journal of
Catalysis, 2012. 33(11–12): p. 1772-1777.
[10] Ochoa-Gómez, J.R., et al., Synthesis of glycerol carbonate from glycerol
and dimethyl carbonate by transesterification: Catalyst screening and
reaction optimization. Applied Catalysis A: General, 2009. 366(2): p.
315-324.
[11] Simanjuntak, F.S.H., et al., CaO-catalyzed synthesis of glycerol
carbonate from glycerol and dimethyl carbonate: Isolation and
characterization of an active Ca species. Applied Catalysis A: General,
2011. 401(1–2): p. 220-225.
[12] Islam, A., et al., Advances in solid-catalytic and non-catalytic
technologies for biodiesel production. Energy Conversion and
Management, 2014. 88(0): p. 1200-1218.
[13] Khayoon, M.S. and B.H. Hameed, Mg1+xCa1−xO2 as reusable and
efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate
via the transesterification of glycerol with dimethyl carbonate. Applied
Catalysis A: General, 2013. 466(0): p. 272-281.
[1] Yang, F., M.A. Hanna, and R. Sun, Value-added uses for crude glycerol-
-a byproduct of biodiesel production. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 2012.
5(1): p. 1-10.
[2] Quispe, C.A.G., C.J.R. Coronado, and J.A. Carvalho Jr, Glycerol:
Production, consumption, prices, characterization and new trends in
combustion. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2013. 27(0):
p. 475-493.
[3] Nguyen, N., Economic Analysis of Biodiesel and Glycerol Carbonate
Production Plant by Glycerolysis. Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy
Systems, 2013. 3(03): p. 209.
[4] Teng, W.K., et al., A review on the performance of glycerol carbonate
production via catalytic transesterification: Effects of influencing
parameters. Energy Conversion and Management, 2014. 88(0): p. 484-
497.
[5] Patil, P.D., et al., Microwave-Assisted Catalytic Transesterification of
Camelina Sativa Oil. Energy & Fuels, 2009. 24(2): p. 1298-1304.
[6] SDA. Glycerine—An Overview. The Soap and Detergent Association,
Glycerine and Oleochemical Division, 1990, 27.
[7] Perry, R. H., Green, D. W., & Maloney, J. O., 2008. Perry's chemical
engineers' handbook (Vol. 7): McGraw-Hill New York.
[8] Gude, V., et al., Microwave energy potential for biodiesel production.
Sustainable Chemical Processes, 2013. 1(1): p. 5-36.
[9] Pan, S., et al., Transesterification of Glycerol with Dimethyl Carbonate
to Glycerol Carbonate over Na–based Zeolites. Chinese Journal of
Catalysis, 2012. 33(11–12): p. 1772-1777.
[10] Ochoa-Gómez, J.R., et al., Synthesis of glycerol carbonate from glycerol
and dimethyl carbonate by transesterification: Catalyst screening and
reaction optimization. Applied Catalysis A: General, 2009. 366(2): p.
315-324.
[11] Simanjuntak, F.S.H., et al., CaO-catalyzed synthesis of glycerol
carbonate from glycerol and dimethyl carbonate: Isolation and
characterization of an active Ca species. Applied Catalysis A: General,
2011. 401(1–2): p. 220-225.
[12] Islam, A., et al., Advances in solid-catalytic and non-catalytic
technologies for biodiesel production. Energy Conversion and
Management, 2014. 88(0): p. 1200-1218.
[13] Khayoon, M.S. and B.H. Hameed, Mg1+xCa1−xO2 as reusable and
efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate
via the transesterification of glycerol with dimethyl carbonate. Applied
Catalysis A: General, 2013. 466(0): p. 272-281.
@article{"International Journal of Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Sciences:70878", author = "Wai Keng Teng and Gek Cheng Ngoh and Rozita Yusoff and Mohamed Kheireddine Aroua and Joe Shen Heng", title = "Microwave Assisted Solvent-Free Catalytic Transesterification of Glycerol to Glycerol Carbonate", abstract = "As a by-product of the biodiesel industries, glycerol
has been vastly generated which surpasses the market demand. It is
imperative to develop an efficient glycerol valorization processes in
minimizing the net energy requirement and intensifying the biodiesel
production. In this study, base-catalyzed transesterification of
glycerol with dimethyl carbonate using microwave irradiation as
heating method to produce glycerol carbonate was conducted by
varying grades of glycerol, i.e. 70%, 86% and 99% purity, that is
obtained from biodiesel plant. Metal oxide catalysts were used with
varying operating parameters including reaction time, DMC/glycerol
molar ratio, catalyst weight %, temperature and stirring speed. From
the study on the effect of different operating parameters it was found
that the type of catalyst used has the most significant effect on the
transesterification reaction. Amidst the metal oxide catalysts
examined, CaO gave the best performance. This study indicates the
feasibility of producing glycerol carbonate using different grade of
glycerol in both conventional thermal activation and microwave
irradiation with CaO as catalyst. Microwave assisted
transesterification (MAT) of glycerol into glycerol carbonate has
demonstrated itself as an energy efficient route by achieving 94.2%
yield of GC at 65°C, 5 minutes reaction time, 1 wt% CaO and
DMC/glycerol molar ratio of 2. The advantages of MAT
transesterification route has made the direct utilization of bioglycerol
from biodiesel production without the need of purification. This has
marked a more economical and less-energy intensive glycerol
carbonate synthesis route.", keywords = "Biodiesel, glycerol, glycerol carbonate, microwave
irradiation.", volume = "9", number = "9", pages = "1140-4", }