Transesterification of crude glycerol for the production of glycerol carbonate

Abstract

Glycerol Carbonate or called as GC as short formed has been currently produced to assist in industrial applications which bring back the benefits to the industries. Therefore, the synthesized of glycerol carbonate can be produced from the by-product of biodiesel that created in form of waste. In this study, crude glycerol being utilized and being purified as starting material for the glycerol carbonate synthesized. The purification step of crude glycerol help in reducing the element and other impurities to make the solution of glycerol to be in colorless solution. The production of glycerol carbonate effect by the purities of glycerol that been used. Steps in purification of crude glycerol that acidifies, neutralized and adsorption process by activated carbon purifies the glycerol to colourless solution. The glycerol which already purifies effect the effectiveness of reaction of transesterification reaction. The process took purified glycerol to react with chemical that contained dialkyl carbonate. As a result, the solution turn into clear yellowish solution indicates the reaction take placed under the temperature of 120◦C when reacted to sodium bicarbonate. Throughout this reaction, the glycerol carbonate is potentially produced. As such in the industries of chemical, such as painting industries need a good solvent to increase the quality of product.