Preparation and characterization of acid heterogeneous catalysts for the conversion of glycerol carbonate to glycidol

Identifier:  TFG:124

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TFG124

Authors:  Luna Murillo, Beatriz

Abstract:
Glycerol is a by-product obtained in high amounts during the production of biodiesel. In the last years, research has been developed to find new applications in order to transform it into high added-value products. The main objective of this project was to study the catalytic conversion of glycerol carbonate, a glycerol-derivative, to glycidol using heterogeneous catalysts: commercial zeolites (Beta, ZSM-5), acid-modified zeolites (H-zeolites, sulfonated zeolites) and synthesized ordered mesoporous materials (SBA-15, sulfonated SBA-15). Microwaves were applied for the preparation of materials and during catalytic reaction. The use of microwaves during the aging step allowed us to obtain faster SBA-15 with higher crystallinity. All catalysts were active for the conversion of glycerol carbonate. Conversion increased with the presence of higher amounts of Brönsted acid sites. The best selectivity to glycidol was achieved with catalyst H-ZSM-5 (95%) using conventional heating during reaction. The use of microwaves during reaction increased conversion but decreased glycidol selectivity due to the production of breaking products.