Technologies for Processing of Crude Glycerol from Biodiesel Production: Synthesis of Solketal and Its Hydrolysis to Obtain Pure Glycerol

Article abstract of DOI:10.1134/S1070427218090100

Information on the volume of production of biodiesel and crude glycerol is discussed. The possibility of using crude glycerol as a feedstock for preparing solketal is demonstrated. The specific features of the solketal synthesis from crude glycerol and of separation of the reaction products are described. A catalytic process is suggested for selective decomposition of solketal to glycerol to obtain purified glycerol of any required concentration up to 99.8 wt.%. A flowsheet is provided for processing of crude glycerol to obtain solketal and subsequently converting it to obtain pure glycerol.