Value-added Utilization of Crude Glycerol from Biodiesel Production: A Survey of Current Research Activities

Abstract

Glycerol is a by-product from biodiesel industry. As the biodiesel production is increasing exponentially, the crude glycerol generated from the transesterification of vegetables oils has also been generated in a large quantity. Despite of the wide applications of pure glycerol in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and many other industries, it is too costly to refine the crude glycerol to a high purity, especially for medium and small biodiesel producers. Many research projects and studies have been conducted and innovative utilizations of the crude glycerol are under investigations. It will be beneficial to the research community as well as biodiesel industry in understanding the progress of glycerol for value-added applications and for reference in manipulating their own integrated plans for sustainable and profitable biodiesel production. This report summarizes the currently available studies and possible ways on the utilizations of crude glycerol generated from biodiesel industry.