Catalysis of glycerol acetylation on solid acid catalyst: a review

Current Trends in Acetins Production: Green versus Non-Green Synthesis

To utilize excess glycerol produced from the biodiesel industry, researchers are developing innovative methods of transforming glycerol into value-added chemicals. One strategy adopted is the conversion of glycerol into acetins, which are esters of glycerol that have wide applications in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food and fuel additives, and plasticizers and serve as precursors for other chemical compounds. Acetins are synthesized either by traditional chemical methods or by biological processes. Although the chemical methods are efficient, productive, and commercialized, they are "non-green", meaning that they are unsafe for the environment and consumers. On the other hand, the biological process is "green" in the sense that it protects both the environment and consumers. It is, however, less productive and requires further effort to achieve commercialization. Thus, both methodologies have benefits and drawbacks, and this study aims to present and discuss these. In addition, we briefly discuss general strategies for optimizing biological processes that could apply to acetins production on an industrial scale.

Bioethanol Production from Cassava Peel Treated with Sulfonated Carbon Catalyzed Hydrolysis

A large amount of Cassava peel as biomass waste is generated by agricultural activities, and it led to a new pursuit to exploit the utilization of biomass waste. This research aimed to study the potential of Cassava peel as raw material for bioethanol production. This study was performed in 2 main processes, acid hydrolysis, and fermentation. The experiment was initiated by conducting acid hydrolysis (100°C and 60 min) on Cassava peel’s starch using sulfonated carbon catalyst palm oil empty fruit bunch (5%-w/v) to produce 13.53 g/L glucose. The glucose contained hydrolysates then continued to ferment at 30°C. The effect of fermentation time (h), pH, and shaking rate (rpm) of cassava peel’s starch fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae was analyzed. The best result was found at pH 4.5 and 50 rpm for a 24 h reaction with 3.75 g/L of bioethanol concentration. This study revealed that Cassava peel is a promising feedstock for biofuel production.