ABSTRACT
The field of biotechnology may find ways to alter the nature of the fats and oils which provide glycerol, or find new ways to manufacture glycerol from natural materials. The distillation refining process does offer the versatility required to manufacture refined grades of glycerol from virtually all types of natural fats or oils process sources. Mineral acidity in glycerine products must be neutralized prior to subsequent processing since acid catalyzes the dehydration of glycerol to acrolein. Chemical treatment techniques for crude glycerols or sweetwaters were primarily developed for removal of the salts and catalysts employed in the fat-processing step. Physical treatments used in the processing of crude glycerine include decantation, filtration, centrifuging, and evaporation/distillation. Modern developments in reverse osmosis, ultrafiltration, or biotechnology will have important impacts on the glycerine process industry. Simple distillation is a very effective method of purification for most crude glycerine, but several factors influence both the practicality and the economics of the distillation process.
