One-pot process for the production of biodiesel and glycerol ether mixtures useful as biofuels; C. Drago, L. F. Liotta, V. La Parola, M. L. Testa and G. Nicolosi; WO2014122579 (PCT/IB2014/058783).
AUTHORS:
C. Drago, L. F. Liotta, V. La Parola, M. L. Testa and G. Nicolosi
PATENT NUMBER:
WO2014122579 (PCT/IB2014/058783)
ABSTRACT:
The object of the invention is related to the development of a microwave-assisted one-pot catalytic process for the transformation of vegetable oils into a mixture of methyl esters of fatty acids (biodiesel) and tert-butyl ethers of glycerol (additives for biofuels), using MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) as the sole source of trans-etherification and trans-esterification.
The experimental observation has shown that the combination of a suitable (heterogeneous) catalyst with microwave radiation is able to efficiently and simultaneously carry out several distinct reactions: decomposition of MTBE with the formation of methanol and isobutene, which in turn they are reagents that participate in the consequential transesterification of triglycerides to give the corresponding methyl esters and glycerol and finally, in the etherification of the latter to give the corresponding t-butyl ethers of glycerol. All as a potential final biofuel that does not need further treatment.
Furthermore, the process has been successfully adapted to the transformation of vegetable oils which are generally not of choice for industrial biodiesel production. In particular, waste used frying oils were taken into the account for their high content of free fatty acids, which cannot be used in a traditional plant for biodiesel production without a crucial, and economically not negligible, pre-treatment.
There are several practical and economic advantages that make this process very interesting, among which vegetable oils with an high content of free fatty acids, such as used frying oils, can be transformed directly without any preliminary pre-treatment, the resulting mixture, which does not present Free glycerol only needs to be removed from the catalyst by simple filtration, and could be used directly as a fuel.
Research field: Green Chemistry and Sustainability
Branch Site: Research Site, Catania (CT)
Contact: Carmelo Drago
