Selective Etherification of Glycerol over Heterogeneous Mixed Oxide Catalyst: Optimization of Reaction Parameters

Zahra Gholami^1, , Ahmad Zuhairi Abdullah¹ and Keat Teong Lee¹

¹School of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Engineering Campus, Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia

Cite this paper:
Zahra Gholami, Ahmad Zuhairi Abdullah and Keat Teong Lee. Selective Etherification of Glycerol over Heterogeneous Mixed Oxide Catalyst: Optimization of Reaction Parameters. Chemical Engineering and Science. 2013; 1(4):79-86. doi: 10.12691/ces-1-4-6

Abstract

Glycerol etherification catalyzed by heterogeneous mixed oxide catalyst (Ca1.6La0.4Al0.6O3) was studied in a batch reactor and effects of different parameters on the reaction and distribution of the products during the etherification reaction were also studied. The catalyst showed the high selectivity to (di- + tri-) glycerol (88%) at 96.3% conversion, at 250°C, 8h of reaction time and 2 wt.% of catalyst loading. The variations of diglycerol isomers (αα’, αβ, and ββ’) versus reaction time were studied for these catalyst and αα’ dimer was the favored diglycerol isomer, indicated that the reaction mainly occurred on the external surface of the catalyst. Reaction parameters were optimized based on this catalyst and the relationships between reaction parameters were investigated. The statistical optimal values of variables were obtained where the CCRD and the response at the different points yielded maximum diglycerol yield and a quadratic polynomial equation was developed.

Keywords:
glycerol etherification mixed oxide diglycerol isomers optimization

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