Method of preparing glycerol alkyl ethers
AssigneeThe Gtbe Company N.V.
InventorsGeert F. Versteeg, Piet Ijben, Wouter Nicolaas Wermink, Katarína Klepá{hacek over (c)}ová, Sjaak Van Loo, Wladimir Kesber
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Abstract
A process for glycerol etherification, including a recycle of glycerol and/or mono-ether, to produce glycerol alkyl ethers with low amount of mono-ether by reacting glycerol and olefinic hydrocarbon, and/or the corresponding aldehydes, ketones and alcohols, having 2 to 10 carbon atoms in the presence of homogeneous acid catalyst with hindered formation of olefin oligomers comprising of two essential steps: reaction step (1) neutralization and salt removal step (2).
Claims20
A process for the production of glycerol alkyl ethers by glycerol etherification with straight, branched or cyclic olefinic hydrocarbons having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and/or the corresponding aldehydes, ketones and alcohols, in the presence of homogeneous acid catalyst, comprising
- a reaction step, wherein a first period of the reaction operates in a multi phase system comprising a polar glycerol phase comprising mainly glycerol and the homogenous acid catalyst, and a non-polar hydrocarbon phase comprising mainly olefinic hydrocarbons having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and/or the corresponding aldehydes, ketones and alcohols wherein the first period results in the lowering of polarity, and
- wherein a second period of the reaction operates in a single reaction phase due in part to the lowering of polarity in the first period of the reaction,
- so that the formation of olefin oligomers is hindered;
- and
- a step for the neutralization of the acid catalyst and separation of formed salt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.