Galen Suppes from UMU has developed a technique that will allow glycerine, a by-product of soybean biodiesel production, to be converted into propylene glycol. Propylene glycol can be used as an effective non-toxic antifreeze for cars and offers many advantages over the toxic, petroleum-based ethylene glycol that is most commonly used.
"The price of propylene glycol is quite high while glycerine price is low, so based on the low cost of feedstock and high value of propylene glycol, the process appears to be most profitable," Suppes said.
"The consumers want antifreeze that is both renewable and made from biomass rather than petroleum from which propylene glycol currently is produced, as well as non-toxic."
With an established market seeing over a 500 million kilograms of propylene glycol produced each year, Suppes believes his technique will allow biodiesel manufacturers to diversify their profits and realise an overall greater impact on the domestic fuel market.
"At best, right now, biodiesel production is only part of the solution," said Suppes.
"Current biodiesel production in the United States is about 0.03 billion gallons per year as compared to distillate fuel oil consumption of 57 billion gallons per year. We believe this technology will encourage and attract more companies and plants to produce propylene glycol, a cheaper and environmentally safer product."
