Pyrolysis of glycerol for the production of hydrogen or syn gas

Biodiesel has high potential as alternative liquid transportation fuel because it is renewable and CO2 neutral, and has similar properties as diesel fuel. Glycerol is a by-product obtained during the production of biodiesel. Canadian government has planned to produce 500 million litres of biodiesel by 2010. An increase in biodiesel production would decrease the market price of glycerol. The objective of this study is to pyrolyse glycerol for the production of clean fuels such as H2 or a feedstock such as syn gas for additional transportation fuel via Fisher-Tropsch synthesis. The pyrolysis of glycerol was carried out at various flow rates of N2 (30–70 mL/min), temperatures (650–800 °C) and types and sizes of packing material in a tubular reactor at atmospheric pressure. The products were mostly gas, essentially consisting of CO, H2, CO2, CH4 and C2H4. It was observed that temperature, carrier flow rates and particle diameter of packing material had profound effects on the conversion of glycerol as well as product distribution. Composition of product gas ranged between syn gas 70–93 mol%, CH4 3–15 mol% and C2H4 2–12 mol% and heating value ranged from 13 to 22 MJ/m3. This study indicates that the bio-glycerol has potential in making syn gas and medium heating value gases.