Bio-derived Compounds

Through careful transformations of plant and other non-fossil, biogenic feedstocks, new polymers can be developed that will replace those made from fossil carbon feedstocks. These new polymers will possess unique chemical activity and be bio-based. Although significant efforts have been made to create bio-based polymers that are chemically identical to and directly replace those derived from petroleum, a long-sought-after objective is to synthesise new, environmentally friendly, bio-based polymers that either functionally replace or have performance advantages over existing polymers. Realizing a scaled-up bio-based materials economy is essential due to human climate change and the negative effects that global plastic pollution has on the environment. Dust-suppressing properties can be obtained from bio-derived glycerides produced by the interaction of waste glycerol with biodegradable or bio-derived fatty acid esters, such as crude biodiesel or soybean oil triglycerides. There is a surplus of crude glycerol that must be purified and disposed of, which is costly for the quickly expanding biodiesel sector. The goal of the current invention is to transform inexpensive, crude glycerol—preferably obtained from biodiesel waste—into a biomaterial that is non-toxic, biodegradable, and non-corrosive and may be used for a variety of purposes, including dust management. Additionally, the conversion process can employ biodiesel itself as a reactant, giving the substance another market in addition to making productive use of glycerol, a significant portion of the waste product produced by the production of biodiesel.