Copper catalysts glycerol oxidation

Two options are being developed at the moment. The first is to produce 1,2-propanediol (propylene glycol) from glycerol. 1,2-Propanediol has a number of industrial uses, including as a less toxic alternative to ethylene glycol in anti-freeze. Conventionally, 1,2-propanediol is made from a petrochemical feedstock, propylene oxide. The new process uses a combination of a copper-chromite catalyst and reactive distillation. The catalyst operates at a lower temperature and pressure than alternative systems 220°C compared to 260°C and 10 bar compared to 150 bar. The process also produces fewer by-products, and should be cheaper than petrochemical routes at current prices for natural glycerol. The first commercial plant is under construction and the process is being actively licensed to other companies. 

A possible method for producing glycerol derivatives can be the reactive distillation in the presence of various oxide and mixed oxide catalysts, such as copper-chromite [3], In this reaction acetol, 1,2- and 1,3-propanediols may be obtained. 

Bienholz A, Blume R, Knop-Gericke A, Giergsdies F, Behrens M, Claus P. Prevention of catalyst deactivation in the hydrogenolysis of glycerol by Ga203-modified copper/zinc oxide catalysts. J Phys Chem C. 2011 115 999-1005. 

Isopropylideneglycerol has been prepared from acetone and glycerol in the presence of the following acidic catalysts hydrogen chloride, - hydrogen chloride and anhydrous sodium sulfate, phosphorus pent-oxide, and anhydrous copper sulfate. It has also been prepared from acetone and glycerol in the presence of calcium carbide and... 

---