Effective production of the biodiesel additive STBE by a continuous flow process.

A new fuel additive, namely solketal tert-butyl ether (STBE), was developed and optimized under continuous flow conditions using a Corning® Advanced-Flow™ glass reactor. STBE was obtained in two steps from glycerol, a renewable building-block produced in large amount in the processing of biodiesel. The advantages of the highly engineered Corning glass reactor included high mixing and heat-exchange efficiency, chemical resistance under corrosive flow conditions and a small hold-up. A robust, continuous, green and safe industrial-scale process is described.