Conversion of glycerol to valuable products

Abstract

Crude glycerol generated as by-product in transesterification and saponification process in biodiesel and soap industries. The wide application of crude glycerol was restricted by the presence of a copious amount of impurities such as water, methanol, soap, fatty acid, and ash. A simple way of utilizing the surplus amount of glycerol generated in biodiesel industries is to convert them in the valuable product either by fermentation, esterification, hydrogenolysis, dehydration, oxidation, and liquefaction. Utilizing crude glycerol as feedstock for the production of valuable products through biological conversion is more reliable and safer when compared to other methods. Apart from the conventional products like ethanol, citric acid, 1, 3, propanediol, crude glycerol can also use for the production of biosurfactants, pigments, mannitol, biohydrogen.