Crude Glycerine 85% Min (Palm/Indonesia Origin)

Brief Overview

The naturally sweet and sticky liquid referred to as crude glycerine exists in a variety of colors, from pale yellow to dark brown. It is the unprocessed like of glycerine and is derived from a variety of feedstocks, including chemical and natural sources. Originally present as triglycerides in vegetable oils, fats, and animal fats, crude glycerine is a byproduct of the oleochemical and biodiesel industries. Crude glycerine production has expanded in tandem with the rising emphasis on renewable energy, namely the growth in biodiesel production. Crude glycerine specifications tend to call for an 80% glycerine content, with the remaining portion made up of contaminants such water, non-glycerine organic matter, soap, catalyst, methanol, and salts.

Manufacturing Process

Degumming

Degumming is a vital stage in refining vegetable oil, where phosphatides are centrifugally removed. Water induces the precipitation of phosphatides in the oil, making them heavier for efficient separation through centrifugation. This process eliminates impurities, improving oil quality and extending storage life.

Deacidification

In the subsequent phase of deacidification, solvent extraction is used to lower the concentration of free fatty acids in vegetable oils. Methanol dissolves these acids, crucial for preventing oil oxidation and undesirable odors, ensuring prolonged storage and refining.

Transesterification/saponification

After deacidification, the deacidified oil undergoes transesterification/saponification, involving hydrolysis. This process, conducted at elevated temperature and pressure with water, breaks down triglyceride chains into glycerol/glycerine and fatty acids. This step makes glycerine accessible for extraction and sets the stage for further refining.

Feedstock

Crude glycerine offers a metabolizable–digestible energy ratio comparable to that of soybean oil. It functions as an energy source for agricultural operations that rear cattle and other herbivorous animals.

Chemical intermediate

Through thermochemical modifications, residual crude glycerine can be repurposed as an intermediate chemical. The process of hydrogenolysis is employed to transform crude glycerine into the end product, propylene glycol. In automobiles running on methanol, propylene glycol, also known as glycol, serves not only as a fuel additive but also as an antifreeze compound.

Composting

Crude glycerine can find application in composting through diverse biological transformations. Through the fermentation process of crude glycerine with the bacterium Anaerobiospirillum succinic, succinic acid is generated. Ongoing research also indicates the potential for algal fermentation to convert crude glycerine into omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid.