Integrated process for the preparation of compounds useful as fuel components

An integrated process for producing fuel components from glycerine, the process comprising purifying glycerine obtained from materials of biological origin to obtain a purified glycerine having a purity of at least 98%, and:

• (A) transforming a stream of the purified glycerine into an alkoxy-propanediol having formula:
• RO—CH2—CHOH—CH2OH, by etherification of the purified glycerine with an alcohol having formula ROH, wherein R is a C1-C8 alkyl, in the presence of an acid catalyst;
• (B) transforming another stream of the purified glycerine into 1,2-propanediol by reducing the purified glycerine with hydrogen in the presence of a reduction catalyst selected from the group consisting of copper chromite, a mixed chrome-zinc-copper oxide, a noble metal on coal, and a noble metal on iron oxide;
• (C) dehydrating the 1,2-propanediol obtained in the transforming (B), in the presence of a solid acid catalyst at a temperature ranging from 200 to 350° C. and a pressure ranging from 0.1 to 10 atmospheres, to obtain propionic aldehyde;
• (D) reacting part of the propionic aldehyde obtained in the dehydrating (C) with the alkoxy-propanediol obtained in the transforming (A), in the presence of an acid catalyst at a temperature ranging from −10 to 120° C. and a pressure ranging from 0.1 to 20 atmospheres, to obtain an acetal having formula (a):
• and
• (E) transforming a remaining part of the propionic aldehyde obtained in the dehydrating (C) to obtain a propyl propionate, by performing a Tishchenko reaction in the presence of a solid base catalyst.