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Home > Glycerin In The Sustainability Of "Green" Polyacrylonitrile Production
In the same way that propene and propane are used in the production of acrylonitrile, glycerin can be used in their synthesis.
The SOHIO process for the production of acrylonitrile was discovered from the observation that propylene in the presence of oxygen and specific catalysts, produced acrolein, which was evidenced by its irritating smell.
It was already known that acrolein could react with ammonia (NH3) to produce acrylonitrile. Therefore, for the complete development of the acrylonitrile synthesis, it was necessary to carry out the steps of production of acrolein and its ammoxidation, in the same operation, which was successful by the use of catalysts based on bismuth phosphomolybdate under controlled conditions of pressure and temperature (SOHIO process).
It has also been known since the 19th century that glycerin can be dehydrated using heating and potassium bisulfate or anhydrous magnesium sulfate for the production of acrolein.
Therefore, in order to produce acrylonitrile from glycerin, it is necessary that dehydration and ammoxidation be carried out in the same step using specific catalysts and conditions, which has already been done on a laboratory scale.
To date, no industrial process has been developed for the production of acrylonitrile from glycerin, but there is much research being carried out in this regard, having been developed on a laboratory scale catalysts based on vanadium, antimony and niobium oxides supported on alumina that make the ammoxidation, and catalysts based on WO3 / TiO2 that dehydrate them. Many developments still need to be carried out so that the production of acrylonitrile from glycerin is competitive with the SOHIO process.