Glycerol conversion to lactic acid in the presence of platinum based catalysts.
Résumé
In the last decade, lactic acid (LA) became an important feedstock, with an annual production of 120,000 tonnes. This importance comes from its use in: i) food-industry: as a food acidulant or as a bacterial spoilage inhibitor and (ii) as a new raw material to produce biodegradable thermoplastics. Nowadays, the LA production is mainly ensured by a saccharide fermentation route; nevertheless, this process still needs improvement. We have previously shown that lactic acid can be obtained from glycerol in the presence of iridium or rhodium-based catalysts. In this present work we introduce the LA obtainment from glycerol (Gly) in the presence of platinum (Pt) - based catalysts.