Abstract
Glycerol is a by-product from bio-diesel production. It is used to be a feedstock for producing useful chemicals such as acrolein, lactic acid, ethanol, and 1,2 propanediol via various reactions such as oxidation, hydrogenolysis, acetalization, etherification, and transesterification. For this work, a Mg4.78Al-layered double oxide was used as a catalyst for glycerol conversion to 1,2 propanediol as a desired product. Moreover, the effect of zirconium on glycerol conversion was also investigated using the Zr partially-substituted layered double oxide catalyst (Zr0.38Mg4.54AlO). The catalysts were synthesized by using co-precipitation method. After calcination, the characterization was carried out using XRD, XRF, BET, NH3-TPD and CO2-TPD techniques. In addition, the products were analyzed by using a GC-TOF/MS. The reaction was performed in PARR reactor at 180 °C for 4 h. Using the Mg4.78AlO catalyst, ethanol, diglycerol, 1,2 propanediol, and acetone were observed as products at this condition. Using the Zr0.38Mg4.54AlO catalyst, the zirconium was found to improve the glycerol conversion, and the selectivity of acetaldehyde was increased to 68.6 %.
