Performance and kinetics study of glycerol ketal synthesis from biomass‐based platform chemicals catalyzed by metal salts

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundMethyl levulinate glycerol ketal (MLK) is a new kind of glycerol ketal with a wide range of applications. The efficient and green synthesis of MLK from biomass‐based platform chemicals including methyl levulinate (ML) and glycerol (GLY) catalyzed by cheap metal salts was investigated. Effects of different reaction conditions on the GLY conversion and the MLK yield were discussed, and the optimization and the kinetics of ketal preparation were further developed.ResultsThe reaction time, amount of catalyst and ML:GLY molar ratio were optimized based on Box–Behnken experimental design. The average MLK yield of 97.6% could be obtained under the optimum reaction conditions of ML:GLY molar ratio 4:3, vacuum degree 90 kPa, AlCl3 1.8 g, temperature 126 °C and reaction time 2 h, and the AlCl3 could be reused ten times without deactivation. On this basis, the kinetics studies showed that the ketal reaction conforms to the pseudo‐second‐order kinetics model, and the values of pre‐referential factor and activation energy were 1.824 × 104 mol·(g·h)−1 and 90.69 kJ mol−1. A reaction pathway for the ketalization reaction was proposed.ConclusionsThese results provide references for the scale‐up of MLK synthesis and the development of a new glycerol ketal. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).