Step-Out Process to Upgrade Clycerol to Bio-Diesel

According to the National Biodiesel Board, 86 commercial biodiesel plants currently operate in the US, with an equal number of new plants either under construction or undergoing expansion. Total US production capacity is expected to be almost 2 billion gallons per year once the current projects are complete, and growth is rapid. At this production rate, over 660,000 metric tons of glycerol will be produced as a by-product each year ¿ over 2.5 times the current US glycerol production capacity. This project will develop technology to convert this excess glycerol byproduct into glycerol tert-butyl ethers, an oxygenated additive for diesel fuel, using a nanoporous catalyst. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of using this new nano-porous catalyst for glycerol etherification in terms of achievable reaction rates and catalyst stability in bench-scale reactors. A preliminary economic evaluation will be performed to determine if the proposed process can be implemented in a cost-effective way. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: This technology would eliminate the primary waste stream from the production of biodiesel and convert it into a commodity that can be sold into a large national market. Bio-refiners would be provided with a simple and cost-effective way to add capacity without large capital investments.