The study focuses on the efficient glycerol conversion, a byproduct of biodiesel production, using a jet loop reactor for sustainable formic acid production.
The researchers have developed an advanced method of producing biogenic formic acid from glycerol using a jet loop reactor (JLR). This method is an improvement on traditional stirred-tank reactors as it enhances gas–liquid mass transfer, enabling the reaction to proceed at a lower oxygen pressure of 5 bar compared to the usual 10–30 bar. Using a homogeneous polyoxometalate catalyst, the JLR achieves high production rates and favourable economics, with reaction kinetics confirming the importance of efficient oxygen transfer. The study demonstrates the strong potential of the JLR for sustainable and cost-effective green chemical production.
Ira Christina Wirth, Daniel Niehaus, Dorothea Voß, Michael Schlüter, and Jakob Albert (2026). Advanced Glycerol Oxidation to Formic Acid in a Multiphasic Jet Loop Reactor Using Polyoxometalate Catalysts. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng. 14 (1), 551–565.
