Synthesis of Acetin: Bio-Based Additive for Low Sulfur Petrodiesel

Abstract

Valorisation of glycerol as a by-product of biodiesel production is the main reason researchers to synthesis acetin. It is known as a cold flow improver and emission CO reducer of petrodiesel. Generally, it can be applied as a supplement to diesel and biodiesel. Another route to synthesis it is trans-esterification of glycerol with ethyl acetate. In this work, the product has been synthesized by simple reflux methods. The conversion of glycerol to the product of acetin was 85.82%. Although the result is not significant, this research revealed that acetin are potentially synthesized from renewable feedstock using a simple method.