(60a) Design of Experiments to Optimize the Production of Chemical Products From Waste Crude Glycerol

Biodiesel is a sustainable and clean source of energy both in the manufacturing process and upon consumption. Additionally, it is produced from renewable resources such as vegetable oils or animal fats. However, the process of manufacturing biodiesel from vegetable oils generates glycerol as a byproduct. Biodiesel production yields 1 kg of glycerol for every 9 kg of biodiesel. Previous research has identified numerous industrially important chemical products that can be manufactured from glycerol, such as the industrially important specialty chemical acrolein. Developing process models for the production of acrolein from glycerol will be useful because it will identify which products are the most economically viable and establish cost targets for switching production from crude oil derived propylene to glycerol.

This contribution is focused on development the process simulation models that will serve as the basis for a flexible economic model for determining the optimal product slate for a multipurpose reactor based on glycerol dehydration chemistry. A design of experiment approach will be utilized in the aid of finding the optimum operating conditions of the system. This analysis will be part of a holistic approach performed by applying process simulation in combination with laboratory experiments for the conceptual design of chemical processes.