Bioethanol

The Open Fuels & Energy Science Journal, 2010, 3, 17-22

17

Open Access

Glycerol (Byproduct of Biodiesel Production) as a Source for Fuels and

Chemicals – Mini Review

Xiaohu Fan*,1, Rachel Burton1 and Yongchang Zhou2

1

Piedmont Biofuels Industrial, Pittsboro, NC 27312, USA

2

Yonezawa Hamari Chemical, Ltd, Yonezawa-city, Yamagata, Japan

Abstract: Currently the large surplus of glycerol formed as a by-product during the production of biodiesel offered an

abundant and low cost feedstock. Researchers showed a surge of interest in using glycerol as renewable feedstock to

produce functional chemicals. This Minireview focuses on recent developments in the conversion of glycerol into valueadded products, including citric acid, lactic acid, 1,3-dihydroxyacetone (DHA), 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD), dichloro-2propanol (DCP), acrolein, hydrogen, and ethanol etc. The versatile new applications of glycerol in the everyday life and

chemical industry will improve the economic viability of the biodiesel industry.

Keywords: Biodiesel, glycerol, feedstock, value-added product.

1. INTRODUCTION

2. GLYCEROL TO CHEMICALS AND MATERIALS

As the most viable alternative fuel, biodiesel has received

an attractive attention during the past few years because of

the dwindling petroleum reserves and the associated

environmental impacts from the usage of fossil fuels.

Although biodiesel represents a secure, renewable and

environmentally safe alternative to fossil fuels, its economic

viability is a major concern. At the same time, the increased

production of biodiesel influenced remarkably the glycerol

market due to the generation of a glut of crude glycerol, the

by-product of biodiesel production, which is yielded at about

10% (wt/wt) of biodiesel during the process of biodiesel

production. The global biodiesel market is estimated to reach

37 billion gallons by 2016 with an average annual growth of

42%, which means about 4 billion gallons of crude glycerol...