Electrochemical carbon dioxide utilization technology for glycerol carbonate production

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This proposal is to conduct an independent market survey to determine the market opportunities for a novel technology developed in my laboratory at the University of Toronto. The innovation which has led the University to apply for US patent protection involves the electrochemical conversion of a low value, waste product using CO2 as a coupling agent to produce a high value polymer precursor, glycerol carbonate. The process is both novel and energy efficient. The waste product, glycerol, is produced as a byproduct of biodiesel production. The production of biodiesel is rapidly growing and has led to a surplus of the by-product glycerol. The current world biodiesel supply is about 37 billion gallons with an accompanying 4 billion gallons of crude glycerol production . As a consequence, the price of glycerol has been dropping dramatically and is about of 240 US$/ton. The conversion of waste glycerol to glycerol carbonate has a number of economic drivers. Glycerol carbonate is a high value-added product with market price greater than 8141 US$/ton. The conversion of glycerol to glycerol carbonate uses carbon dioxide to couple with glycerol and hence is a carbon negative process. Most importantly, the market scale for the technology is significant.