Production of propylene glycol from glycerol using a continuous flow tube reactor under low pressure conditions.

Abstract

OCR09WP14 / 05 / 2569 A continuous process for producing propylene glycol from glycerol using a tubular reactor under controlled conditions. The reaction occurs under low pressure (400-500 psi) and temperature (230-250 degrees Celsius). The reaction removes water from the glycerol molecule to form acetol, and the hydrogenation reaction of acetol forms propylenego. Lean glycol within the same reactor, giving percentage changes in glycerol and percentage values. The specificity in the selection of propylene glycol products is higher than 90%, which is achievable. Under conditions where acetol is in the vapor state during the hydrogenation reaction, the reaction also removes water from... The glycerol molecule is converted to acetol, and the hydrogenation reaction of acetol produces propylene glycol. Both reactions occur on the same type of heterogeneous catalyst, thus allowing both reactions to take place within a single process. The same reactor

Claims

OCR09WP14 / 05 / 25691. The process of producing propylene glycol from glycerol using a continuous flow tubular reactor involves removing water from glycerol molecules to form acetol, and then hydrogenating the acetol to form propylene glycol. This occurs under conditions of pressure of 400-500 psi and temperature of 230-250 °C, where the water removal reaction of glycerol to acetol and the hydrogenation reaction of acetol to propylene glycol can occur within the same reactor. While acetol is in the vapor state, the hydrogenation reaction occurs using a 60-90% by weight glycerol solution with water as the solvent, and happens when an acidic catalyst is used to accelerate the removal of water from the glycerol molecules.

2. The process according to claim 1, which occurs when using a heterogeneous catalyst whose main component is copper metal or contains reactive hydrogenating metals such as nickel, palladium, ruthenium, platinum, rhodium, chromium, and zinc. 3.The process of producing acetol using a tubular reactor involves removing water from glycerol molecules under pressure of 400-500 psi and a temperature of 230-250°C to form acetol. The resulting acetol is not hydrogenated and exists as a vapor on a catalyst containing either an acid or a metal.