GLYCERINE

Pinch Analysis Project

GLYCERINE
Glycerine, a somewhat viscous clear oily liquid that is colorless, odourless, hydrophilic and have a sweet taste in nature, grow from being an entirely by-product of soap manufacture (roughly 30kg glycerine/metric ton of soap) to being a commercial one in its synthetic form. Of the total production, 15% was by-product of the manufacture of fatty acids and alcohols. In fact, the largest synthetic glycerine plant is part of an organic complex manufacturing isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, acrolein, acetone, allyl alcohol, and related products. Glycerine plays a very wide usein industry because of its physical and chemical properties. Its dominant use based on chemical properties center on its moistening, lubricating, and softening characteristics whereas, its greatest use as a chemical is in the manufacture of alkyd resins. Free glycerol is an indespensible ingredient of many adhesive preparations wherein its plasticizing and penetrating properties make the adhesive film stronger and more flexible. It is also often use for agricultural purposes as it may be applied in sprays, washes, or dips in conjuction with formaldehyde, Bordeaux mixture, nicotine, plant hormones, antibiotic or antiviral preparations. It might also be an ideal antifreezing agent because of its low-freezing point, good conductivity, and an extensive range of compatibility. Glycerine is chiefly produced by-product of the hydrolisys or saponiication of fats and oil in the manufacture of free fatty acids and soaps. It is also a by-product of the production of biodiesel via esterification. Glycerol is also produced by various routes from propylene. One of these, as the most important, is the epichlorohydrin process in which it involves the chlorination of propylene to give allyl chloride which is oxidized with hypochlorite to dichlorohydrins, then reacts with a strong base to give epichlorohydrin. Epichlorohydrin is then hydrolyzed to give glycerol.

From Propylene Via Acrolein

Glycerine production studied in this analysis is the production via catalytic vapour-phase oxidation of propylene to acrolein, followed by reaction of the acrolein with isopropanol to yield allyl alcohol. The allyl alcohol produced is oxidized with hydrogen peroxide to produced glycerine. Propylene and steam in equal amounts are mixed with oxygen, which is about 50% of the weight of propylene, in a reactor maintained at 350C, 2atm pressure. In the presence of a supported copper oxide catalysts, about 65% of the propylene is oxidized. The reaction mixture is cooled and passed through a column wherein unreacted propylene is separated for recycle. To separate the tarry by-products, the reaction mixture is distilled in a column with flash drum temperature of 92C. The purified acrolein, with the presence of catalyst containing uncalcined magnesia and zinc oxide, is then reacted with isopropanol in a reactor maintained at 400C. The reaction yield allyl alcohol and acetone separated in a distillation column. In a column maintained at 70C, total recovery of acetone is observed at the heads with 10% and 25% of the allyl alcohol and isopropanol entering the column that goes with it, respectively. The purified allyl alcohol is reacted with 2-molar hydrogen peroxide solution. After the reaction of 97% conversion at 70C, the resulting glycerine-water solution is sent to a still where the solution is cooled with the removal of the catalyst. The high purity glycerine solution is further processed for concentration and purification processes.

Reactions:

CH2CHCH3 + O2 CH2CHCHO + CH3CHOHCH3 CH2CHCH2OH + H2O2

CH2CHCHO + H2O CH2CHCH2OH + CH3COCH3 CH2OHCHOH + CH2OH 97% yield