Sungates Overview
Crude glycerin is a byproduct of biodiesel production. All along, it has gained significant attention due to its potential applications in multifarious industries. Nevertheless, to unlock its full value, its mandatory that crude glycerin undergoes distillation, an inevitable process that purifies the substance and enhances its quality. Our advanced crude glycerin distillation services warrant that you receive high-purity glycerin suitable for diverse applications, ranging from pharmaceuticals to food products.
What is Crude Glycerin?
Crude glycerin is a thick, syrupy liquid with a characteristic sweet taste. It characteristically contains 60-80% glycerol, along with water and several impurities, including salts, methanol, and free fatty acids. It is increasingly important to remove such impurities to make the best use of it for industrial purposes. Removing impurities is indispensable.
The Distillation Process
The distillation of crude glycerin encompasses several key steps:
Feed Preparation
During this stage, the crude glycerin is first evaluated to resolve its composition, and before beginning the pre-treatment process. This process embraces filtration or centrifugation that is intended to remove larger particles.
Preliminary Heating
In other words, it is also referred to as preheating the glycerin reduces its viscosity to enhance processing and makes it easier to handle the distillation unit.
Distillation
The pre-heated glycerin is processed into a distillation column. During this stage, glycerol is heated to instigate the vaporization process. With the vapors rising above through the column, they come across to meeting a series of trays, or what are generally called packing materials, that aid in the separation of components based on their different boiling points.
Condensation
Condensation is the point or stage at which vapor is cooled and condensed back into a liquid form. This distilled liquid is retained and collected as refined glycerin for its intended purposes.
Purification
Further purification methods feature alongside the purification process. Such processes include processes such as ion-exchange or crystallization, can be employed to optimize glycerin quality.
Benefits of Crude Glycerin Distillation
High Purity
It is the Distillation Process that significantly increases the purity of glycerin by making it suitable for sensitive applications in the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics manufacturing sectors.
Cost-Effectiveness
The efficiency of utilizing biodiesel byproducts reduces waste effectively/ It signifies creating a valuable product instead of proper usage, which can be sold or used within various industries.
Versatility
The purified glycerin can be implemented for a wide range of applications, from food additives to industrial lubricants.
Environmental Impact
It is noteworthy to bring to attention that recycling glycerin through distillation processes ropes in perfectly to sustainability initiatives as it minimizes industrial waste.
Applications of Distilled Glycerin
Pharmaceuticals
Distilled glycerin is used as a solvent, sweetener, or humectant in various formulations that have the effect of keeping moisture in the food.
Food Industry
They can be used as a key component as a food preservative, sweetener, and thickening agent.
Cosmetics
Incorporated in skincare products for its moisturizing properties.