Process development for conversion of low-value biodiesel glycerol into renewable value-added propylene glycol Phase 1

不断上升的二氧化碳水平和对环境的担忧推动了对生物柴油作为交通燃料的需求增加。它通常是由植物油通过酯交换反应生产的。每生产100升生物柴油，就会产生大约10升甘油作为副产品。来自生物柴油厂的甘油通常含有大量的杂质，如水、甲醇、脂肪酸和肥皂。这些杂质的存在阻碍了其在食品、制药和化妆品行业中作为溶剂的使用。为了提高生物柴油生产的经济可持续性，迫切需要一条有效的粗甘油价态的途径。丙三醇作为溶剂、乳化剂、稳定剂和降凝剂在全球市场需求量为270万吨/年，生物柴油生产丙三醇是一条高利润的价态路线。萨斯喀彻温大学的达莱教授和他的团队开发了一种催化工艺，可以使用一种专有催化剂从粗甘油中生产生物丙二醇。作为这项技术商业化的一项战略，实验室规模的间歇过程将转换为连续过程，因为后一种类型的操作有可能提高过程效率，同时减少环境足迹和运营成本。此外，本研究的重点是根据工业需要开发UOFS丙二醇技术，然后验证催化剂合成的重现性，并在小型中试反应器中由粗甘油生产丙二醇。中试试验结果将用于生命周期分析和流程模拟，并通过技术经济分析确定UOFS技术的经济可行性。该项目的成果将增强工业合作伙伴对UofS丙二醇技术的信心，使其获得许可并进一步商业化。

The rising CO2 levels and environmental concerns have promoted increased demands for biodiesel as a transportation fuel. It is typically produced from vegetable oils by transesterification. For every 100 liters of biodiesel produced, around 10 liters of glycerol is generated as a byproduct. Glycerol from biodiesel plants typically contains significant levels of impurities such as water, methanol, fatty acids, and soap. The presence of these impurities prevents its use as a solvent in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. An effective route for the valorization of this crude glycerol is highly desirable to improve the economic sustainability of biodiesel production. The production of propylene glycol from glycerol of biodiesel process emerges as a high-margin valorization route since propylene glycol market demand is 2.7 million tons per year globally as a solvent, emulsifier, stabilizer, and freezing point reducer. Professor Dalai and his team at the University of Saskatchewan have developed a catalytic process to produce bio-propylene glycol from crude glycerol using a proprietary catalyst. As a strategy to commercialize this technology, the lab-scale batch processwill be converted into a continuous process since the latter type of operation has the potentials to increase the process efficiency while reducing environmental footprints and operating costs. Besides, this study focuses on developing the UofS propylene glycol technology as per industrial needs and then validating the reproducibilityof catalyst synthesis, and the production of propylene glycol from crude glycerol in a small-scale pilot reactor. The experimental results of pilot runs will be used for life cycle analysis, process simulation and to find out theeconomical feasibility of the UofS technology through techno-economic analysis. The outcomes of the project will enhance the confidence of industrial partners on the UofS propylene glycol technology for licensing and further commercialization.