Conversion of glycerol to value-added products

Abstract

The dramatic increase in biodiesel production has increased the oversupply of glycerol as a by-product. Low cost, ready availability, and surplus supply of glycerol is a spectacular opportunity for chemical industry to utilize glycerol as feedstock for production of high-value products. This chapter provides the information about different pathways available for conversion of glycerol into high specialty chemicals. Various approaches and strategies have been developed by researchers to investigate the effects of reaction parameters, i.e., nature and type of catalyst, reaction time, temperature, pressure, and type of solvent, on glycerol conversion and product selectivity. Based on the information provided in this chapter, researchers can select a viable process for the conversion of waste glycerol into valuable commodities.