Catalytic Etherification of Glycerol with Alcohols

Modris Roze, Valdis Kampars, Kristine Teivena, Ruta Kampare, Edvards Liepins

Abstract


Glycerol ethers could be the good fuel additives. In
recent years, the etherification of glycerol has been widely
investigated. We tried to perform the synthesis of glycerol ethers
using different alcohols – ethanol, isopropanol, tert-butanol.
Amberlyst-15, Amberlyst-36, Montmorillonite K 10, β-zeolite
were used as catalysts. The etherification reaction between
glycerol and alcohols was carried out under atmospheric
pressure, by operating at different temperatures ranging from 60
°C to boiling temperatures, at different reaction times and at
both different catalyst/glycerol and alcohol/glycerol rates. We
also tried to perform this reaction using ultrasonic and
microwave conditions. The best results were achieved, when
toluene as a solvent and Amberlyst-36 as a catalyst were used.

Keywords:

glycerol, isopropyl glycerol ether, tert-butyl glycerol ether, heterogeneous catalyst, etherification

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DOI: 10.7250/msac.2013.011

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