Technologies for Processing of Crude Glycerol from Biodiesel Production: Synthesis of Solketal and Its Hydrolysis to Obtain Pure Glycerol

Information on the volume of production of biodiesel and crude glycerol from it is analyzed. The possibility of using crude glycerol as a feedstock for preparing solketal is demonstrated. The specific features of the solketal synthesis from crude glycerol and of separation of the reaction products are described. A catalytic process is suggested for selective decomposition of solketal to glycerol to obtain purified glycerol of any required concentration up to 99.8 wt %. A flowsheet is suggested for processing of crude glycerol to obtain solketal and subsequently converting it to obtain pure glycerol.