Patent ID: 8334416

Claim:
A process for the removal of hydroxypropanone and 2,4-dimethyl-2-methanol-1,3-dioxolanes from a crude product stream from the hydrogenation of glycerol, the crude product stream comprising 1,2-propanediol and hydroxypropanone and 2,4-dimethyl-2-methanol-1,3-dioxolanes as impurities, the process comprising: (a) where required condensing the crude product stream; and (b) contacting the crude product phase in the liquid phase with a stream of a hydrogen-containing gas in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst at suitable temperatures and pressures such that hydroxypropanone present in the crude product stream is converted to the desired propanediol and 2,4-dimethyl-2-methanol-1,3-dioxolanes are reduced to from about 20 to about 60 ppm when measured by gas chromatography.