Process integration analysis of sustainable production of a fine chemical intermediate from bioresources

A study was carried out to assess the economic potential of a process to manufacture a widely used industrial chemical from renewable, bio-based feed stocks. The industrial chemical chosen was an aldehyde, which is used as an intermediate in the specialty chemical industry. The current industry standard for production of this intermediate is based on utilizing crude oil derived feed stocks as the primary raw material. Due to rising raw material costs, it is desired to utilize a more cost effective, renewable resource as the primary raw material. One potential raw material is glycerin. It has been produced as a side product of the transesterification of vegetable oils to manufacture biodiesel. As the use of biodiesel increases, the cost of glycerin could drop considerably leading to potential cost savings. A conceptual process design for the production of this fine chemical intermediate from the dehydration of glycerin was developed. A laboratory scale reactor was designed for determining the kinetic parameters of the glycerin dehydration reaction and identifying possible side products. The results provide an invaluable foundation for business decision-making regarding the possible transition to producing an important industrial chemical from renewable resources. This is an abstract of a paper presented at the AIChE Annual Meeting and Fall Showcase (Cincinnati, OH 10/30/2005-11/4/2005).