Table 2 Glycerol carbonate yield and remarks on various production technologies
Method | Yield (wt%) | Remark |
|---|---|---|
Alkali-catalyzed | 35–98 | Separation and purification is needed. Water could not be used as it is miscible with glycerol carbonate and thus, yield decreases |
Ultrasound-assisted lipase-catalyzed | >97 | Enzyme is costly especially when coupled with ultrasound equipment |
Microwave-assisted CaO-catalyzed | 93.4 | Fast reaction but hard to penetrate large volumes. CaO needs thermal pre-treatment |
Non-catalytic supercritical dimethyl carbonate | 98 | Pure glycerol is needed for high yield but no complicated separation and purification. Use of crude glycerol will lead to glycidol formation |