Tandem catalytic conversion of glycerol using solid catalysts followed by transesterification to produce alkyl lactate

Abstract

This study investigated alkyl lactate production from glycerol by tandem processes which included glycerol conversion to calcium lactate using solid catalysts and subsequent transesterification of calcium lactate to alkyl lactate using methanol/ethanol and carbon dioxide. The effect of reaction conditions on alkyl lactate production was systematically investigated. A central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology were used to design the experiments and evaluate the optimum process conditions. At the optimum conditions, the methyl lactate yield reached 57 mol% with a glycerol conversion of 94 mol% using refined glycerol. A yield of approximately 42 mol% for ethyl lactate was obtained using refined glycerol at the optimum conditions. Similar glycerol conversion and alkyl lactate yields were obtained using crude glycerol, indicating that the impurities in the crude glycerol had no significant effects on alkyl lactate production. The examination of regenerated catalysts that had been reused twice showed no negative effects on glycerol conversion and methyl lactate production. Compared to the traditional lactic acid and alkyl lactate production, this two-step process for alkyl lactate production from glycerol is both economical and environmentally benign since no gypsum was produced and the solid catalysts can be regenerated and reused.