Bioplastic innovation

Crude glycerine is usually used in the animal feed market or can be refined or purified for higher-value applications such as in pharmaceuticals, soaps, cosmetics, food and beverages. In fact there are probably over 1,500 different uses of glycerol, according to industry players. Glycerol is structurally analogous to sugars.

 

According to the US Department of Energy (DOE) in a 2004 study, glycerol is one of the top 12 building block chemicals from biomass. Glycerol is made from natural fats and oils (as we sometimes called it lipids) via the chemical process esterification/transesterification. Crude glycerin has minimum 85% glycerol, with low salts and many organics such as free fatty acids and distillates), according to ICIS.

 

Within biodiesel production, the purity of biodiesel (and consequently glycerin) depends on the feedstock used. Higher cost virgin vegetable oil feedstocks contain few impurities and are comparatively easy to process while lower cost and unrefined virgin vegetable oil feedstocks generally contain impurities that must be pretreated as part of the production process.

According to our colleagues at ICIS Pricing, glycerin is actually traded either as crude or refined. Major US producers of refined glycerin include agribusiness Cargill, Procter & Gamble Chemicals, Vantage Oleochemicals, Emery Oleochemicals, VVF and PMC Biogenix. Companies need quite a large capital to build a refining glycerin facility by the way.

 

The US biodiesel industry last year was estimated to have produced around 908m gallons, way up from 309m gallons in 2010. 

 

Renewable Energy Group (REG) said it also plans to work with technology companies that focus on renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels.

“We are able to offer to co-locate these companies’ equipment and production processes at our existing facilities, as well as to offer design-build, operations and management capabilities to accelerate the commercialization of these companies’ products.” – REG

One such company is REG’s relationship with Glycos Biotechnologies, which is developing chemicals such as ethanol, isoprene, acetone, hydrogen, 1,2 propanediol and other organic acids such as lactic acid, succinic acid and formic acid using crude glycerin as feedstock. REG has been collaborating with GlycosBio since 2007.

 One of REG’s plans is to acquire or invest in biodiesel, renewable chemicals or other advanced biofuel production and distribution assets in select international markets targeting large end-user or large feedstock generating markets. The company also plans to expand into the production of renewable chemicals, additional advanced biofuels, next generation feedstocks, such as algae oil, and related renewable products.

Here is a chart from the DOE’s 2004 biomass chemicals study for those who are interested in new glycerin applications:

Market participants expected about 5m lb (2,268 tonnes) of refined glycerine to be utilised in the glycol market in 2012, and expected this number to increase by the end of the year.

Source: Icis