Production of epichlorohydrin

EPICHLOROHYDRIN PRODUCTION

Biodiesel is a mixture of fatty acids methyl esters (FAMEs) obtained by transesterification of triglycerides (oils or fats) with methanol:

The reaction also produces glycerin (around 10 Kg of glycerin per 100 Kg of biodiesel). The strong increase in biodiesel production (from 2 million ton in 2004 to 16 million ton in 2009) has produced a glycerin glut with a consequent price decreases. Because its low price and its reactivity, the glycerin is now considered as an intersting building block by industry for production of several chemical products.

Among the different possible use of glycerol, NICL has studied the chlorination of glycerol to produce the dichlorohydrin wich is used then to produce epichlohydrin.

 

 

This process has been proposed as substituted of the propylene chlorination classical route .
The production of epichlorohydrin from glycerol is more convinient from enviromental,technical and economic points of view than the classical route.
NICL is among the pioneers of Glycerin Chlorination Technology and some of the results of its research activities done in collaboration with industrial parteners (ASER, Eurochem Eng., CONSER) have been reported in patent applications and scientific publications.

 

Publications

 

Patents