Integrated biodiesel facilities: review of glycerol-based production of fuels and chemicals

Glycerol as raw material for further use within biorefineries has been evaluated by reviewing and comparing several processes, mostly from the literature but also a few developed for this work. The evaluation of these processes for transforming glycerol into fuels and chemicals includes their economics and the influence of main process design parameters. The possibility of reusing those chemicals within the biorefinery complex provides further integration possibilities. Various chemical complexes have been described from the literature, and a new process to obtain acrolein is developed. On the one hand, high added-value products allow a biodiesel production cost rather competitive. However, this reduces the integration opportunities and even the fuel yield from oil. On the other hand, for biorefineries to be attractive, a combination of yield and economics needs to be achieved. It looks like a distributed production is so far preferable, based on the current studies. But a more comprehensive supply chain study should be developed to evaluate and integrate biodiesel production plants and processes in a territory.

[1]  Alberto Almena,et al.  Technoeconomic Analysis of the Production of Epichlorohydrin from Glycerol , 2016 .

[2]  I. Grossmann,et al.  Process Optimization of FT-Diesel Production from Lignocellulosic Switchgrass , 2011 .

[3]  Jianli Wang,et al.  The indirect conversion of glycerol into 1,3-dihydroxyacetone over magnetic polystyrene nanosphere immobilized TEMPO catalyst , 2013 .

[4]  Ignacio E. Grossmann,et al.  Design of an optimal process for enhanced production of bioethanol and biodiesel from algae oil via glycerol fermentation. , 2014 .

[5]  Chunhai Yi,et al.  Etherification of Glycerol with Isobutylene to Produce Oxygenate Additive Using Sulfonated Peanut Shell Catalyst , 2010 .

[6]  J. Zeikus,et al.  Biotechnology of succinic acid production and markets for derived industrial products , 1999, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[8]  J. Sauer,et al.  Acrolein and Methacrolein , 2007 .

[9]  Ray Sinnott,et al.  Chemical Engineering Design , 2007 .

[10]  B. Tabah,et al.  Production of 1,3-propanediol from glycerol via fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae , 2016 .

[11]  P. Westermann,et al.  Fermentation of crude glycerol from biodiesel production by Clostridium pasteurianum , 2012, Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology.

[12]  S. Lee,et al.  Production of succinic acid by bacterial fermentation , 2006 .

[13]  Amin Talebian-Kiakalaieh,et al.  Glycerol for renewable acrolein production by catalytic dehydration , 2014 .

[14]  M. Pagliaro,et al.  From glycerol to value-added products. , 2007, Angewandte Chemie.

[15]  J. Blaker,et al.  Hierarchical Composites Made Entirely from Renewable Resources , 2011 .

[16]  G. Vicente,et al.  Acid-catalyzed etherification of bio-glycerol and isobutylene over sulfonic mesostructured silicas , 2008 .

[17]  A. Bhan,et al.  Mechanistic Origins of Unselective Oxidation Products in the Conversion of Propylene to Acrolein on Bi2Mo3O12 , 2016 .

[18]  Hua Chen,et al.  Hydrogenolysis of glycerol to glycols over ruthenium catalysts: Effect of support and catalyst reduction temperature , 2008 .

[19]  Mariano Martín,et al.  RePSIM metric for design of sustainable renewable based fuel and power production processes , 2016 .

[20]  J. K.,et al.  Industrial Organic Chemistry , 1938, Nature.

[21]  P. Arias,et al.  Economic assessment for the production of 1,2‐Propanediol from bioglycerol hydrogenolysis using molecular hydrogen or hydrogen donor molecules , 2016 .

[22]  Yulei Zhu,et al.  Hydrogenolysis of glycerol to 1,3-propanediol over bifunctional catalysts containing Pt and heteropolyacids , 2013 .

[23]  Masahiro Yokota,et al.  Dehydration–hydrogenation of glycerol into 1,2-propanediol at ambient hydrogen pressure , 2009 .

[24]  J. Dobrowolski,et al.  Mono-, di-, and tri-tert-butyl ethers of glycerol. A molecular spectroscopic study. , 2007, Spectrochimica acta. Part A, Molecular and biomolecular spectroscopy.

[25]  Satoshi Sato,et al.  Production of acrolein from glycerol over silica-supported heteropoly acids , 2007 .

[26]  C. Rossell,et al.  Integrated production of biodegradable plastic, sugar and ethanol , 2001, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[27]  M. Luo,et al.  Novel Process for 1,3-Dihydroxyacetone Production from Glycerol. 1. Technological Feasibility Study and Process Design , 2012 .

[28]  John M. Kenney,et al.  Glycerin as a Renewable Feedstock for Epichlorohydrin Production. The GTE Process , 2008 .

[29]  James A. Dumesic,et al.  Aqueous-phase reforming of oxygenated hydrocarbons over Sn-modified Ni catalysts , 2004 .

[30]  Ignacio E. Grossmann,et al.  On the Systematic Synthesis of Sustainable Biorefineries , 2013 .

[31]  J. Ackermann,et al.  Production of PHB from Crude Glycerol , 2007 .

[32]  Elio Santacesaria,et al.  Kinetics of glycerol chlorination with hydrochloric acid : A new route to α,γ-dichlorohydrin , 2007 .

[33]  S. R. Green,et al.  Dihydroxyacetone: Production and uses , 1961 .

[34]  Hyun Shik Yun,et al.  Production of 1,2-propanediol from glycerol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. , 2011, Journal of microbiology and biotechnology.

[35]  F. García-Ochoa,et al.  Kinetic modelling of the solventless synthesis of solketal with a sulphonic ion exchange resin , 2015 .

[36]  Ramon Gonzalez,et al.  Anaerobic fermentation of glycerol by Escherichia coli: a new platform for metabolic engineering. , 2006, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[37]  L. Ma,et al.  SYNTHESIS OF EPICHLOROHYDRIN FROM DICHLOROPROPANOLS Kinetic Aspects of the Process , 2007 .

[38]  A. Behr,et al.  Verfahrensentwicklung der säurekatalysierten Veretherung von Glycerin mit Isobuten zu Glycerintertiärbutylethern , 2001 .

[39]  H. Chang,et al.  Succinic acid production with reduced by-product formation in the fermentation of Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens using glycerol as a carbon source. , 2001, Biotechnology and bioengineering.

[40]  Ignacio E. Grossmann,et al.  Energy optimization for the design of corn‐based ethanol plants , 2008 .

[41]  Adrie J. J. Straathof,et al.  Fermentative production of isobutene , 2012, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[42]  H. Noureddini.  Process for producing biodiesel fuel with reduced viscosity and a cloud point below thirty-two (32) degrees fahrenheit , 2017 .

[43]  Yong Wang,et al.  Direct conversion of bio-ethanol to isobutene on nanosized Zn(x)Zr(y)O(z) mixed oxides with balanced acid-base sites. , 2011, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[44]  C. Sasaki,et al.  Epoxy resin synthesis using low molecular weight lignin separated from various lignocellulosic materials. , 2015, International journal of biological macromolecules.

[45]  S. Loridant,et al.  New efficient and long-life catalyst for gas-phase glycerol dehydration to acrolein , 2011 .

[46]  M. Aresta,et al.  Converting wastes into added value products: from glycerol to glycerol carbonate, glycidol and epichlorohydrin using environmentally friendly synthetic routes , 2011 .

[47]  V. Faraco,et al.  Production of succinic acid from Basfia succiniciproducens up to the pilot scale from Arundo donax hydrolysate. , 2016, Bioresource technology.

[48]  Arno Behr,et al.  Development of a Process for the Acid‐Catalyzed Etherification of Glycerine and Isobutene Forming Glycerine Tertiary Butyl Ethers , 2002 .

[49]  H. Noureddini,et al.  PRODUCTION OF ETHERS OF GLYCEROL FROM CRUDE GLYCEROL - THE BY- PRODUCT OF BIODLESEL PRODUCTION , 1998 .

[50]  H. Tamon,et al.  Adsorption of carbon monoxide on activated carbon impregnated with metal halide , 1996 .

[51]  Wim Soetaert,et al.  Microbial succinic acid production: Natural versus metabolic engineered producers , 2010 .

[52]  Suttichai Assabumrungrat,et al.  Glycerol ethers synthesis from glycerol etherification with tert-butyl alcohol in reactive distillation , 2011, Comput. Chem. Eng..

[53]  E. Moore,et al.  Formate and ethanol are the major products of glycerol fermentation produced by a Klebsiella planticola strain isolated from red deer , 1997, Journal of applied microbiology.

[54]  S. Papanikolaou,et al.  High production of 1,3-propanediol from industrial glycerol by a newly isolated Clostridium butyricum strain. , 2000, Journal of biotechnology.

[55]  Peter Ruhdal Jensen,et al.  Bioconversion of crude glycerol feedstocks into ethanol by Pachysolen tannophilus. , 2012, Bioresource technology.

[56]  Naresh Pachauri,et al.  Value-added Utilization of Crude Glycerol from Biodiesel Production: A Survey of Current Research Activities , 2006 .

[57]  Carlos A. Cardona,et al.  Design and analysis of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate production processes from crude glycerol , 2011 .

[58]  Ignacio E. Grossmann,et al.  Integrated Synthesis of Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Isobutene, and Glycerol Ethers from Algae , 2014 .

[59]  R. L. Kuczkowski,et al.  The Mechanism of Propylene Oxidation to Acrolein over Bismuth Molybdate, Copper Oxide, and Rhodium Catalysts , 1983 .

[60]  Scott Q. Turn,et al.  Experimental Investigation of Hydrogen Production from Glycerin Reforming , 2007 .

[61]  Colin Webb,et al.  A techno-economic analysis of biodiesel biorefineries: Assessment of integrated designs for the co-production of fuels and chemicals , 2011 .

[62]  K. Weissermel,et al.  Industrial Organic Chemistry , 1978 .

[63]  John A Posada,et al.  Design and analysis of biorefineries based on raw glycerol: addressing the glycerol problem. , 2012, Bioresource technology.

[64]  Shilpi Khanna,et al.  Statistical media optimization studies for growth and PHB production by Ralstonia eutropha , 2005 .

[65]  Ignacio E. Grossmann,et al.  ASI: Toward the optimal integrated production of biodiesel with internal recycling of methanol produced from glycerol , 2013 .

[66]  Y. Chisti,et al.  Fermentation optimization for the production of poly(β-hydroxybutyric acid) microbial thermoplastic , 1999 .

[67]  Peijun Ji,et al.  Production of ultrapure hydrogen from biomass gasification with air , 2009 .

[68]  Gang Wang,et al.  Effects of oxygen transfer coefficient on dihydroxyacetone production from crude glycerol , 2016, Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology].

[69]  C. Grandfils,et al.  Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production by Cupriavidus necator using waste glycerol , 2009 .

[70]  Harry Silla,et al.  Chemical Process Engineering: Design and Economics , 2007 .

[71]  Martin Koller,et al.  Production of polyhydroxyalkanoates from agricultural waste and surplus materials. , 2005, Biomacromolecules.

[72]  Yu Liang,et al.  Sustainable production of acrolein: gas-phase dehydration of glycerol over 12-tungstophosphoric acid supported on ZrO2 and SiO2 , 2008 .

[73]  Klaus D. Timmerhaus,et al.  Plant design and economics for chemical engineers , 1958 .

[74]  Ignacio E. Grossmann,et al.  Simultaneous Optimization and Heat Integration for Biodiesel Production from Cooking Oil and Algae , 2012 .

[75]  S. Gwaltney,et al.  A thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen production by steam reforming of glycerol , 2007 .

[76]  Mariano Martín,et al.  Techno-economic evaluation of the production of polyesters from glycerol and adipic acid , 2015 .

[77]  I. Grossmann,et al.  Optimal simultaneous production of i-butene and ethanol from switchgrass , 2014 .

[78]  S. Kumari,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched polyesters and polyurethane coatings , 2007 .

[79]  N. M. José,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of aliphatic polyesters from glycerol, by-product of biodiesel production, and adipic acid , 2007 .

[80]  A. Corma,et al.  Biomass to chemicals : Catalytic conversion of glycerol/water mixtures into acrolein, reaction network , 2008 .

[81]  Jeffrey D. Ward,et al.  Design and Control of the Glycerol Tertiary Butyl Ethers Process for the Utilization of a Renewable Resource , 2011 .

[82]  I. Grossmann,et al.  Optimal engineered algae composition for the integrated simultaneous production of bioethanol and biodiesel , 2013 .

[83]  C. Bîldea,et al.  Design of Glycerol Etherification Process by Reactive Distillation , 2011 .

[84]  Fangxia Yang,et al.  Value-added uses for crude glycerol--a byproduct of biodiesel production , 2012, Biotechnology for Biofuels.

[85]  Caixia Wan,et al.  Characterization of crude glycerol from biodiesel plants. , 2012, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[86]  M. Roth,et al.  The production of polyhydroxybutyrate by Methylobacterium rhodesianum and Ralstonia eutropha in media containing glycerol and casein hydrolysates , 1999, Biotechnology Letters.

[87]  Krist V. Gernaey,et al.  Economic Risk Assessment of Early Stage Designs for Glycerol Valorization in Biorefinery Concepts , 2016 .

[88]  Ignacio E. Grossmann,et al.  Simultaneous Optimization and Heat Integration for the Coproduction of Diesel Substitutes: Biodiesel (FAME and FAEE) and Glycerol Ethers from Algae Oil , 2014 .

[89]  Bo-Qing Xu,et al.  Sustainable production of acrolein: Gas-phase dehydration of glycerol over Nb2O5 catalyst , 2007 .

[90]  Vasile I. Parvulescu,et al.  Sustainability metrics for succinic acid production: A comparison between biomass-based and petrochemical routes , 2015 .

[91]  J. Tkáč,et al.  A novel microbial biosensor based on cells of Gluconobacter oxydans for the selective determination of 1,3-propanediol in the presence of glycerol and its application to bioprocess monitoring , 2007, Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry.

[92]  H. Deka,et al.  Bio-based hyperbranched polyurethanes for surface coating applications , 2009 .

[93]  Sang Yup Lee,et al.  Process analysis and economic evaluation for Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production by fermentation , 1997 .

[94]  Qinglong Liu,et al.  Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic performances of potassium-modified molybdenum-incorporated KIT-6 mesoporous silica catalysts for the selective oxidation of propane to acrolein , 2016 .

[95]  W. Nicol,et al.  The effect of carbon dioxide availability on succinic acid production with biofilms of Actinobacillus succinogenes , 2017 .

[96]  I. Grossmann,et al.  Optimal Simultaneous Production of Hydrogen and Liquid Fuels from Glycerol: Integrating the Use of Biodiesel Byproducts , 2014 .

[97]  Yi-xi Cai,et al.  Coking characteristics and deactivation mechanism of the HZSM-5 zeolite employed in the upgrading of biomass-derived vapors , 2017 .