Establishing rational conditions for obtaining potassium glycerate

Abstract

This paper reports a study into the dependence of efficient glycerate potassium production involving glycerin and potassium hydroxide solution on the process conditions. The concentration of potassium glycerate in the resulting product has been used as a parameter of the efficient glycerate potassium production process. Glycerates of metals are applied to produce articles in the construction industry, electronics, medicine; they are employed as transesterification catalysts to obtain special fats for various purposes, as well as biodiesel fuel. In order to derive potassium glycerate, heating was applied while agitating a mixture of glycerin and potassium hydroxide. The analysis of potassium hydroxide was performed, in which the basic substance mass fraction was 85.5 %, the mass fraction of carbonate potassium – 0.9 %. The p.a.-grade glycerin was applied in this work, whose basic substance mass fraction was 99.5 %. The effect of the heating temperature of the reaction mixture on the concentration of potassium glycerate in the product has been determined. It has been shown that the rational heating temperature is 145 °C. The dependence of potassium glycerate concentration in the resulting product on the following conditions of the process has been established: a change in the molar concentration of glycerin and a reaction mixture heating duration. Such rational conditions for obtaining potassium glycerate have been defined as a molar concentration of glycerin of 60 % and a heating duration of 4 hours. The experimentally established concentration of potassium glycerate in the product under these conditions was 75.77 %. For potassium glycerate, the melting point (69 °C) and the mass fraction of moisture (0.8 %) have been determined. The results of experimental studies would make it possible to obtain potassium glycerate directly at enterprises where the glycerates of metals are used, from available raw materials, under rational conditions. The defined conditions for obtaining potassium glycerate could make it possible to efficiently utilize material and energy resources.