ZSM5 as a Potential Catalyst for Glycerol Pyrolysis

Margarida L. Castelló, Jo Dweck, Donato A. G. Aranda, Rosana C. L. Pereira, Manoel J. R. Guimarães Neto

Chemical School, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fluminense Federal Institute—Campus Macaé, Macaé, Brazil.
Petrobras’ Research Center, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

DOI: 10.4236/jsbs.2014.41006                

Abstract

Glycerol is a substance known to humankind for many years now, and among other products, in which composition it is used, are the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, paints and varnishes REF _Ref382993082 \r \h [1]REF _Ref382993086 \r \h [6]. The abundance of its supply leads to search for new uses, whether as a plasticizer for biodegradable polymers REF _Ref382993096 \r \h [7], its transformation into other substances like propylene and derivatives or other hydrocarbons [8] [9], the production of hydrogen for energy purposes REF _Ref382993109 \r \h [10], or even direct burning, making glycerol a fuel for boilers, for example. The aim of this work was to investigate the action of the zeolite ZSM5 on glycerol fast pyrolysis at 600°C. The tests were done with a mixture of glycerol-ZSM5 recently prepared using approximately equal volumes of glycerol and the catalyst, and the effluent gases from the fast pyrolysis have been analyzed in a chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) system. Experiments showed that ZSM5 acts in the pyrolysis of glycerol leading to a large number of substances, from oxygenated products to hydrocarbons, which are part of typical compositions of naphtha, diesel and gasoline petroleum derived products.

Keywords

Glycerol; ZSM5; Pyrolysis

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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