A review on glycerol purification consequent to its formation as a byproduct in biodiesel manufacture by trans-esterification process of fats

Abstract

roduction of biodiesel is becoming popular for its obvious reasons. Tranesterification technology is till date the mainmethod to get fatty acid methyl esters or biodiesel. Glycerol formed as a byproduct in transesterification could beutilized after freeing it from contaminants. This short review provides critical and essential process parameters firstlyto have pure biodiesel product and more particularly to get pure glycerol byproduct, both being used in their purerforms for different purposes. The work of several workers suggests that glycerol washing as a focus comprise rawglycerol being treated with a few physicochemical processes and enhance its purity to as high as over 95% whichsince from commercial angleis a good achievement. The steps suggest what among others are safe process steps, what physical processes are bestsuited and what practices yield highly pure glycerol. Not only the chemicals like solvents utilized in the process couldbe recovered but also value-added pure byproduct glycerol could be produced on a substantial scale from biodieselindustry.