Disposable baby diapers waste derived catalyst for synthesizing glycerol carbonate by the transesterification of glycerol with dimethyl carbonate

Abstract

In this work, the superabsorbent polymer (SAP) in the disposable baby diapers waste (DBDW) was carbonized at different temperatures to prepare a series of base catalysts. The carbonization behavior of the SAP was examined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The structure and morphology of the as-prepared catalysts were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller surface area measurement (BET), and acid-base titration technique. The catalytic ability of these catalysts in the transesterification reaction of glycerol with dimethyl carbonate (DMC) was compared. Among them, the catalyst prepared by the carbonization of the SAP collected from the DBDW at 500 °C in nitrogen was the most suitable one for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate (GC) by the transesterification of glycerol with DMC. This catalyst showed good catalytic activity with the glycerol conversion of 95.6% and GC yield of 93.6%. Moreover, it exhibited high reusability after eight-time reuse in the reaction.