Cradle to Gate
Identity ID
ae862b9b92154219a9e010dbb21967e2
Materials
Associated ID
ede2c7c9-030b-4c49-8e60-4bbc46afe1fa
Included activities starts
Included activities ends
Description
Glycerol can be used in FDA-approved wound and burn treatments, bacterial culture media, as an effective biomarker for liver disease, as a sweetener in the food industry, and as a humectant in pharmaceutical formulations; this dataset includes primary raw and auxiliary materials, energy inputs, and atmospheric emissions from the production process, but infrastructure such as production equipment and facility construction is not included within the system boundary; the life cycle inventory data were sourced from literature and optimized based on the best available information for 2022; the process flow for producing biodiesel from vegetable oil includes pretreatment, esterification, neutralization, separation and purification, and distillation, with glycerol being a co-product.
Activity Description
The production process of biodiesel from vegetable oil includes pretreatment, esterification reaction, neutralization, separation and purification, distillation, and other steps, with glycerol as a co-product.
Process Description
Glycerol, also known as glycerin, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C3H8O3. It is a simple polyol compound, appearing as a colorless, odorless, non-toxic, viscous liquid with a sweet taste. Due to its three hydroxyl groups, glycerol is miscible with water and exhibits hygroscopic properties. Because of its antibacterial and antiviral characteristics, it is widely used in FDA-approved wound and burn treatments. It can also serve as a bacterial culture medium and an effective biomarker for assessing liver diseases. Additionally, glycerol is extensively used as a sweetener in the food industry and as a humectant in pharmaceutical formulations.
Time period
2020
2026
Geography
China
Macroeconomic value
Business-as-Usual
Data validation
Yes
Technology
Current Technology
Technology comment
The production process of biodiesel from vegetable oil includes pretreatment, esterification reaction, neutralization, separation and purification, distillation, and other steps, with glycerol as a co-product.