Synthesis of glycerol carbonate from glycerol and dimethyl carbonate catalyzed by KF modified hydroxyapatite

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) modified with different metal salts were prepared by wet-impregnation method and used as a catalyst for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate via transesterification from glycerol and dimethyl carbonate (DMC). It was found that KF/HAP was a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of glycerol carbonate and the catalyst can be easily recovered and recycled. Under the conditions of molar ratio of DMC/glycerol of 2:1, the weight ratio of catalyst/glycerol of 3%, reaction time 50 min and reaction temperature 78 degrees C, the conversion of glycerol and the yield of glycerol carbonate reached 99.3% and 99.0%, respectively. The catalytic performance of KF/HAP is comparable to the homogenous catalyst of KF and better than that of K2CO3. (C) 2011 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.