Glycerin Could Be the Next Untapped Energy Resource

Dr. Valerie Dupont from the University of Leeds in the UK has developed a method of isolating hydrogen atoms in glycerin to produce a rich hydrogen based gas.

The method involves separating out the elements which compose glycerin mainly 3 carbon atoms, 8 hydrogen atoms, and 3 oxygen atoms.  Dupont’s process, called Unmixed and Sorption-Enhanced Steam Reforming, isolates all the atoms in glycerin for a byproduct of hydrogen rich molecules. The process is potentially a break through for the alternative energy field which can use the molecules for large power generators as well as portable fuel cells.

Research on the advantages of using glycerin for sustainable energy projects is recently being more aggressively pursued.  Truman State University in the United States has researchers currently thinking up ideas for glycerin to be used as a base food for cattle, and attempting to develop a nontoxic antifreeze with a glycerin base.

Virginia Tech, also located in the United States, is using glycerin in a number of areas including projects geared towards producing ethanol and methanol without harmful hydrocarbon gasses as waste.

These research efforts may make crude glycerin, a common ingredient in household hand soap, an as of yet untapped environmental resource.  Current research underway indicates that glycerin could be used in projects relating to sustainable energy and help to produce hydrogen gasses without unwanted byproducts.