CycloForming of Crude Glycerol

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), 68% of the petroleum oil consumed by the U.S. is used for transportation. Diesel fuel constitutes over 25% of the nation's total fuel use. The U.S. consumes 90,000 gallons of diesel fuel every 60 seconds, producing significant greenhouse gases in the process. The increased use of biofuels such as biodiesel benefits Americans by creating a new industry and revenue source for American farmers, decreasing dependence on foreign oil and reducing fossil fuel emissions including greenhouse gases. Biodiesel is potentially a key component of that alternative fuels supply and a major factor in future emissions reduction. It can be produced from any triglyceride oil and blended with diesel fuel in any proportion. Waste products such as greases, meat rendering, and food wastes can be converted to biodiesel. Unfortunately, the production process that allows us to convert these waste products and other feedstocks into valuable biodiesel is resulting in a surplus on the glycerol market turning what was once a high-value byproduct and key economic driver for biodiesel production into a waste product. Consequently, the glycerol market has seen a dramatic reduction in prices. Clearly, new technologies that turn glycerol into a desired product are needed to sustain/increase the viability of cost-competitive biodiesel production. In turn, the U.S. will realize the environmental, economic and security benefits its increased use offers. Developing and commercializing that needed glycerol-conversion technology is the goal of this multi-phase SBIR project. Eltron's novel Cycloforming process has the potential to convert this excess glycerol to usable syngas - a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide used to generate chemicals such as ammonia, urea, methanol, ethanol, acetic anhydride, vinyl acetate, ethylene, alpha olefins, solvents and explosives as well as Fischer-Tropsch products diesel. Bio-based methanol could be used in the biodiesel production process, making biodiesel production more self-sufficient. Using process waste in production would make the Life Cycle Assessment of Biodiesel production more environmentally favorable because less carbon would be needed from fossil sources. Biodiesel's cost-competitive sustainability depends strongly on making profitable use of the biodiesel byproduct glycerol.