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This book is aimed at providing a concise discussion on the use of glycerol as a renewable raw material for the chemical industry. With the increasing use of biodiesel produced from oils and fats, there is a surplus of glycerol in the world. This abundant and rather cheap raw material can be transformed in commodities and specialty chemicals, as well as in fuels. The book describes the main processes of chemical transformation of glycerol, highlighting those that are currently in commercial use and pointing out potential processes to be used in the future. The first chapter introduces the concept of biofuel and briefly describes the production of biodiesel. It also highlights glycerol as the main byproduct of biodiesel synthesis and presents some numbers regarding the world production of glycerol. The second chapter shows the common uses of glycerol and addresses the point whether or not they can drain the large amounts of glycerol produced from biodiesel. The chapter addresses pros and cons of each use. The third chapter covers the main biotechnological processes of glycerol transformation. The fourth chapter thoroughly describes the main thermochemical processes to transform glycerol into commodities, products that will be further used in the chemical industry to produce polymers, for instance. The fifth chapter covers the production of glycerol derivatives of high added-value. The sixth chapter addresses the use of glycerol in the context of a biorefinery. The main idea is to show that many of the processes described in the previous chapters could be entirely green, using exclusively renewable raw materials.

Glycerol: The Renewable Platform Chemical provides a valuable overview of the glycerol market, including industrial applications and sustainable production of glycerol. Replacing previous works on the subject, this useful resource describes glycerol, also known as glycerine, and its chemical derivatives, especially the new bioglycerol-derived products. The monograph also discusses how the industrial use of glycerol as raw material for producing commodity chemicals depends on broader scope and lower cost of the catalytic process used to convert glycerol of varying purity grades into valued monomers. New chapters on glycerol polymers, the use of glycerol as antifreeze, and its sustainable production offer relevant information for researchers and professionals from academics and industry alike. The book features new processes, such as low cost and biocompatible glycerol polymers as a major alternative to the conventional polymers, with the first practical applications now emerging in the biomedical and patient care markets. The book offers both a source of inspiration for new projects and a reliable source of information on how glycerol is replacing petrochemicals in many real world applications. - Features completely unique information and insight from leading expert Mario Pagliaro, including recent developments in the field, gathered from over a decade of intense R&D activities - Includes new chapters on the glycerol market, glycerol polymers, the use of glycerol in the cement and construction industries, its use an antifreeze, and its sustainable production - Contains reliable, accessible information appropriate for research chemists and chemical engineers in the chemical, oleochemicals, biodiesel, biotechnology and cement industries as well as in academia

In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of the production, structure and applications of glycerol. Topics discussed include the use of glycerol from biodiesel to production of environmental technologies; thermochemical conversion of glycerol to hydrogen; the application of glycerol in pharmaceutical formulation; valorization of glycerol in propanediols production by catalytic processes; hydrogen production from glycerol via membrane reactor technology; ruthenium-catalyzed nitrile hydration reactions using glycerol as solvent; and natural activation of commercial glycerol.

By-products of global biodiesel manufacturing are a modern day global fact responsible for igniting a number of year's worldwide intense research activity into human chemical ingenuity. This fully updated and revised 2nd edition depicts how practical limitations posed by glycerol chemistry are solved based on the understanding of the fundamental chemistry of glycerol and by application of catalysis science and technology. The authors report and comment on employable, practical avenues applicable to convert glycerol into value added products of mass consumption. This book is the best-selling reference book in the field. The highly anticipated 2nd Edition is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding whether biodiesel and glycerol refineries are convenient and economically sound.

By-products of global biodiesel manufacturing are a global fact and the immense amount of glycerol by-product stacking unsold until mid 2005 gave a visual image of the huge loss of energy and material resources. This was due to the lack of suitable conversion processes for this, the oldest organic molecule known to man, despite various experiments by some biodiesel producers. The large surplus of glycerol by-product which entered the chemical market has caused closure of existing glycerol plants and the discovery of processes that use glycerol as a raw material for the production of value-added chemicals and even of energy. This was followed by 3-4 years of intense research activity worldwide, where human chemical ingenuity opened up a number of practical avenues to convert glycerol into value added products of mass consumption. For instance, the batteries of your laptop and iPod, as well as your car's antifreeze will soon be based on glycerol, the same sweet viscous substance currently present in soaps. Reporting and commenting on such achievements this book aims to inform chemistry professionals, including managers and technologists, on the large potential of glycerol as versatile biofeedstock for the production of a variety of chemicals, polymers and fuels. Whilst filling a gap in the current literature, this nicely illustrated book is written in a clear, concise style and presents the numerous uses of glycerol as a new raw material which are starting to have an impact on industry worldwide. Elucidation of the principles governing the new chemistry of glycerol goes along with updated industrial information that is generally difficult to retrieve. Through its 10 chapters, the monograph tells the story of a chemical success -- that of converting glycerol into value added products -- and highlight the principles that made it possible. Whether as solvent, antifreeze, detergent, monomer for textiles or drug, new catalytic conversions of glycerol have been discovered that are finding application for the synthesis of products whose use range from everyday life to the fine chemical industry. Readers are also shown how a number of practical limitations posed by glycerol chemistry, such as the low selectivity encountered employing traditional stoichiometric and older catalytic conversions, were actually solved based on the understanding of the fundamental chemistry of glycerol and by application of catalysis science and technology. Readers also find a thorough discussion on the sustainability issues of bioglycerol production covering societal, environmental and economic dimensions to reflect the needs of politicians and citizens of today who require cross border research. By explaining the advantages and problems as well as offering solutions the book aids understanding as to whether biodiesel and glycerol refineries are convenient and economically sound. Chemical research on glycerol has shown that given a strong economic input, chemists are able to rapidly devise a whole set of new upgrading processes for the biorefinery and that the latter integrated unity for production energy and chemicals is not just dream of environmentally-minded scientists but an inevitable reality of today. Due to the ever decreasing energy return on energy invested, global society is being forced to switch from fossil to renewable fuels until cheap and abundant energy of solar origin becomes a reality. In this evolution, biofuels, particularly biodiesel, will certainly play a role and therefore, glycerol will be a key raw material for the biorefinery for many years to come. Dealing with such a hot topic of urgent scientific and commercial interest, this is a true'living book'in which updates will be posted yearly on the RSC website. The book's users include industry's top managers and management consultants and also R&D and marketing managers. Along with technical content of a high quali

Analytical Methods for Glycerol covers the detection, identification, determination, and separation of glycerol in analytical procedures. The book discusses the chemical and physical information about glycerol; analytical work on the important naturally occurring and synthetic materials containing combined glycerol; and the analysis of glycerol samples, especially from the point of view of pharmacopoiea specifications. The text also describes the important methods for the enzymic determination of glycerol. Methods based on residual glycerol hydroxyl groups, methods based on the release of glycerol from its combined state in the sample, and methods based on probable participation of the complete molecules of the sample are also considered. Chemists and people involved in the study of analytical methods of glycerol will find the book invaluable.

This book comprehensively covers the chemical and physical properties and manufacturing and handling procedures of glycerine and the use of this material in cosmetic and personal care products and in other industrial areas such as testing laboratories and manufacturing and marketing sectors.