Improvement in preparing and separating triacetin by the combinatory effect of catalysis and in situ continuous liquid: Liquid extraction technique

• Main Authors: Zaharani, Lia, Mihankhah, Peyman, Johan, Mohd Rafie, Khaligh, Nader Ghaffari
• Format: Article
• Published: Springer 2024
• Subjects: QD Chemistry
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/45999/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

The chemical structure of 4,4 `-trimethylenedipiperidinium hydrogen sulfate hydrate was investigated by single-crystal XRD, thereby the existence of hydrogen sulfate anions and the crystallization waters was proved. This fact confirmed that the FTIR spectrum can be used to distinguish HSO4]- and SO4]2- anions in organic salts. The organic acid salt with both Bronsted acid and acceptor-donor hydrogen bond sites was employed in the laboratory scale of a fundamental industrial process. The catalytic efficiency of the organic acid salt was investigated for the selective transformation of glycerol into triacetin, a well-known fuel additive, under different conditions. The catalytic efficiency of the organic acid salt was investigated for the selective transformation of glycerol into triacetin, a well-known fuel additive, under different conditions. Furthermore, the selective separation of di- and tri-acetin from the reaction medium during the acylation was performed through a continuous liquid-liquid extraction in situ technique. The combinatory effect of Bronsted acid-hydrogen bond catalysis and separation process improves the preparation and separation of triacetin. The main merits of the current work are the easy preparation and selective separation of valuable products under solvent-free, metal-free, and halogen-free conditions with high recycling and reusing of the catalytic medium.