Synthesis of Methyl Glycerol Ethers over a Zeolite Catalyst in a Fixed-Bed Reactor

The present study investigates the regularities of synthesis of methyl glycerol ethers (MGEs) in direct intermolecular dehydration between glycerol and methanol over BEA-type zeolite. The following reaction conditions were varied during the study: temperature (140, 160, and 180°C), pressure (3.0, 5.0, and 7.0 MPa), volume hourly space velocity (0.5 and 1.0 h^–1), and methanol to glycerol molar ratio (5 : 1 and 10 : 1). The compositions of the reaction mixtures prepared, as well as the isomeric compositions of the mono- and disubstituted glycerol ethers, were described. The material balances of the process were provided for each combination of operating conditions. The variations in the glycerol conversion, the yields of MGEs, the yield of dimethyl ether as a by-product, and the selectivity towards monomethyl glycerol ethers (relative to dimethyl ones) were investigated as functions of the reaction conditions.