Synthesis of Glycerol Carbonate from Biomass Glycerol: focus on the Calcination Temperature

We carried out a reaction in which glycerol carbonate was synthesized by using glycerol and urea. The physical properties of the prepared catalysts were investigated by BET surface area, X-ray diffraction, temperature programmed desorption, and Field-emission scanning electron microcopy. In addition, we confirmed the conversion of the glycerol and the yield of the glycerol carbonate according to calcination temperature. From XRD results, the crystalline of prepared ZnAl2O4 was slowly increased with an increasing of the calcination temperature. When the calcination temperature of ZnAl2O4 was 500 degrees C, the conversion of the glycerol was 74.4% and the yield of the glycerol carbonate was 73.3%. The conversion of the glycerol and the yield of the glycerol carbonate can be obtained higher when acid/base ratio is approx. 1. From this result, we may conclude that the acid & base site density and ratio of catalysts were very important parameters in the synthesis of glycerol carbonate from urea and glycerol.