Glycerol hydrogenolysis to propylene glycol

Abstract

A nickel catalyst showed a considerable selectivity to propylene glycol (up to 98%) at 30% glycerol conversion, under moderate hydrogenation conditions: 200°C reaction temperature, 20-25 bar hydrogen pressure, 5 wt% catalyst and unprecedented low reaction time of 8 h.

Hydrogenation of ethyl lactate over ruthenium catalysts in an additive-free catalytic system

“…This can be responsible for the drop of the selectivity to 1,2-PDO at a higher dosage ([100 mg) of Ru/SiO 2 . This excessive hydrogenolysis phenomenon is well known in the hydrogenation of polyhydroxy compounds [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. It is worth noting that when 100 mg of Ru/SiO 2 was used, the yield of 1,2-PDO was high up to 82.1%.…”

Improved Utilization of Crude Glycerol By-Product from Biodiesel Production

“…The 83.6% 1,2-propanediol selectivity at 22.5% glycerol conversion was achieved at 200 o C in presence Cu-ZnO catalyst with relatively small Cu particles. Marinoiu et al (2009) conducted the hydrogenolysis process with nickel catalyst which resulted in up to 98% 1,2-propanediol selectivity and 30% glycerol conversion in moderate temperature and pressures (200 o C and 20-25 bar, respectively). Recently, Wu et al (2011) reported hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,2-propanediol via hydrogen spillover by using Cu-Ru nanoparticle catalyst supported on nanotubes.…”

Selective hydrogenolysis of glycerol to propylene glycol using heterogeneous catalysts

“…However, the Ni catalyst is not preferable for this reaction type at high pressures because C-C bond fission can be expected in hydrogenation conditions. Our earlier experiments proved that the Ni/Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 catalyst is an active catalyst for the hydrogenolysis of glycerol under low hydrogen pressures [21].…”

“…1, 2). This phenomenon can be explained if one takes into account the bifunctional mechanism which requires the presence of both an acidic and a metal function [21]. The conversion of glycerol proceeds by the combination of dehydration over acid catalyst with subsequent hydrogenation over metal catalyst.…”