**1. Introduction**

Vegetable biomass contains organic matter from the photosynthesis process and conversion of biological origin compounds into chemicals [1] has attired attention of researchers worldwide. The United States Department of Energy presented a series of chemical products, called platform molecules, which may be synthesized from biomass, generating more complex molecules of interest to society [2]. Biomass is also a raw material for the production of biofuels, representing a

renewable alternative, easily accessible and more environmentally sustainable compared to fossil fuels. Among the biofuels, biodiesel has attracted attention since it is produced from simple and abundant raw materials, such as vegetable oils, animal fat and its residues [3].

Biodiesel is one of the most important energy commodities in the world. The USA (6.5 million m3 ), Indonesia (6.2 million m3 ) and Brazil (5.9 million m3 ) were the largest producers in 2019. Germany is the largest producer of biodiesel in the European community (3.2 million m3 ), followed by France and Spain. Other countries such as Argentina, Poland, Malaysia and Thailand are also important players in this market, producing more than 1 million m3 [4]. The production of biodiesel has grown significantly worldwide, which results also in an increase in the amount of glycerol produced as a by-product [5]. Glycerol has great potential for application in the production of high added-value chemicals due to four main factors: its availability; its low commercial value; for being a renewable raw material; and for providing more economically viable alternatives for the biodiesel industry [6]. This may lead to a decrease in biodiesel prices and could improve the glycerol market. Therefore, there is an opportunity to produce value-added molecules, such as acrylic acid, acrylonitrile and 1,3-propanediol, among others [7, 8].

The development of industrial processes that contemplate the conversion of raw materials from biomass into chemical products requires an economic analysis to define the molecules that are of greatest interest to the market. Data can be obtained free of charge from portals such as the International Trade Center (ITC), from the official portals of trade agencies in each country, such as Comex Stat in Brazil and, partially, from websites of market consulting companies. The ITC was developed to provide access to export statistical data and specifications from several countries. As market consulting companies publish detailed reports of the worldwide market assessment of various products, which take into account price, demand and market potential. However, these reports are expensive and difficult to be acquired by researchers at universities and many research institutions.

In this context, this work presents methods and tools, easily accessible and free of charge, to search for information and parameters, analysis of the current market and the economic potential of products. In particular, data on glycerol and three of its main derivatives are analyzed: acrylonitrile, acrylic acid and 1,3-propanediol. Also, a simplified process design is presented for each of the selected derivatives, using the ASPEN PLUS tool.

## **2. Methods**

In order to carry out an economic analysis of a given product of interest, it is important to obtain market data for the base country, where the industrial plant can be implanted, as well as for other countries, for assessment of international trade, threats and opportunities.

The market parameters of glycerol and each of its derivatives to be evaluated were obtained from the International Trade Center (ITC) portal and the Comex Stat portal. The future scenarios were obtained on the websites of consulting companies. This information must be carefully analyzed due to the differences in the assessment among different companies.

ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations that aims to promote business between countries, mainly developing countries, simplify the economy [9], and provide several market analysis tools, covering 220 countries and territories and 5300 products found in the Harmonized System (HS).

**187**

under study.

*Market Prospecting and Assessment of the Economic Potential of Glycerol from Biodiesel*

accueil?lang=eng) and ETCN (China - http://www.e-to-china.com).

The chemical products are found on the Trade Map and Comex Stat by using the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, or simply Harmonized System (HS), and the Mercosur Common Nomenclature (NCM), in the specific case of Brazil. The Harmonized System (SH) is a multipurpose international nomenclature for the classification of products, published by the World Customs Organization (WCO). The HS allows participating countries to classify traded goods on a common global basis for customs purposes. It comprises more than 5000 commodity groups; each identified by a six-digit code, from SH2 to SH6, arranged in a legal and logical structure and is supported by well-defined rules to achieve uniform classification (WCO, 2020). The greater the number of digits, the more specific the HS classification becomes, so each country, or group of countries, has defined a common classification, which can have up to ten digits. These nomenclatures can represent a single substance or a group of them, having specific chemical characteristics in common. Usually the commodities and products of great commercialization are dealt with separately; however, the analysis of molecules grouped in the same SH is more difficult. The system is used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for their Customs tariffs and for the collection of international trade statistics. Over 98% of the merchandise in international trade is classified in terms of the HS. The HS contributes to the harmonization of customs and trade procedures, and the non-documentary trade data interchange in connection with such procedures, thus reducing the costs

MERCOSUR Common Nomenclature (NCM) is based on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System. The NCM adopts WCO tariff subheadings (six digits) and adds two more digits to provide a greater level of detail, resulting in eight-digit codes. The MCN has been adopted by the countries that integrate the Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay Block to foster international trade growth, make the creation and comparison of statistics easier, in addition to elaborating freight tariffs and providing other relevant information to international trade. The ITC Trade Map uses a classification of up to 6 digits, while Comex Stat uses not only the SH, but also the NCM, with 8 digits, specifying more the product

The availability of the market parameters in these databases allows the user correlating and interpreting the information in order to economically analyze the product under evaluation. Import and export values, volumes, growth rates, market shares, etc. are obtained from the Trade Map/ITC (worldwide) and the Comex Stat (for Brazil), while the growth forecasts are obtained from the websites of market consulting companies. This procedure was applied to gather information on the

The correlation of parameters displayed in graphs and tables is necessary for better evaluation and interpretation of the results. The data can be evaluated by regions or countries with greater market share for a specific product, allowing the visualization of the marketing behavior of these substances during the period

market for glycerol, acrylic acid, acrylonitrile and 1,3-propanediol.

The Trade Map is one of the most important and provides, through tables, graphs and maps, performance indicators for imports and exports, international demand, alternative and competitive markets, in addition to a directory of importing and exporting companies [10]. Comex Stat is a portal to access statistical data of foreign trade in Brazil. Every country has a free access consultation tool that quantifies national imports and exports, e.g. Data Web (United States - https://dataweb. usitc.gov/), Stat Can (Canada - https://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cimt-cicm/home-

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93965*

related to international trade.

under analysis.

#### *Market Prospecting and Assessment of the Economic Potential of Glycerol from Biodiesel DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93965*

The Trade Map is one of the most important and provides, through tables, graphs and maps, performance indicators for imports and exports, international demand, alternative and competitive markets, in addition to a directory of importing and exporting companies [10]. Comex Stat is a portal to access statistical data of foreign trade in Brazil. Every country has a free access consultation tool that quantifies national imports and exports, e.g. Data Web (United States - https://dataweb. usitc.gov/), Stat Can (Canada - https://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cimt-cicm/homeaccueil?lang=eng) and ETCN (China - http://www.e-to-china.com).

The chemical products are found on the Trade Map and Comex Stat by using the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, or simply Harmonized System (HS), and the Mercosur Common Nomenclature (NCM), in the specific case of Brazil. The Harmonized System (SH) is a multipurpose international nomenclature for the classification of products, published by the World Customs Organization (WCO). The HS allows participating countries to classify traded goods on a common global basis for customs purposes. It comprises more than 5000 commodity groups; each identified by a six-digit code, from SH2 to SH6, arranged in a legal and logical structure and is supported by well-defined rules to achieve uniform classification (WCO, 2020). The greater the number of digits, the more specific the HS classification becomes, so each country, or group of countries, has defined a common classification, which can have up to ten digits. These nomenclatures can represent a single substance or a group of them, having specific chemical characteristics in common. Usually the commodities and products of great commercialization are dealt with separately; however, the analysis of molecules grouped in the same SH is more difficult. The system is used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for their Customs tariffs and for the collection of international trade statistics. Over 98% of the merchandise in international trade is classified in terms of the HS. The HS contributes to the harmonization of customs and trade procedures, and the non-documentary trade data interchange in connection with such procedures, thus reducing the costs related to international trade.

MERCOSUR Common Nomenclature (NCM) is based on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System. The NCM adopts WCO tariff subheadings (six digits) and adds two more digits to provide a greater level of detail, resulting in eight-digit codes. The MCN has been adopted by the countries that integrate the Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay Block to foster international trade growth, make the creation and comparison of statistics easier, in addition to elaborating freight tariffs and providing other relevant information to international trade.

The ITC Trade Map uses a classification of up to 6 digits, while Comex Stat uses not only the SH, but also the NCM, with 8 digits, specifying more the product under analysis.

The availability of the market parameters in these databases allows the user correlating and interpreting the information in order to economically analyze the product under evaluation. Import and export values, volumes, growth rates, market shares, etc. are obtained from the Trade Map/ITC (worldwide) and the Comex Stat (for Brazil), while the growth forecasts are obtained from the websites of market consulting companies. This procedure was applied to gather information on the market for glycerol, acrylic acid, acrylonitrile and 1,3-propanediol.

The correlation of parameters displayed in graphs and tables is necessary for better evaluation and interpretation of the results. The data can be evaluated by regions or countries with greater market share for a specific product, allowing the visualization of the marketing behavior of these substances during the period under study.

*Biotechnological Applications of Biomass*

fat and its residues [3].

community (3.2 million m3

diol, among others [7, 8].

using the ASPEN PLUS tool.

threats and opportunities.

ment among different companies.

**2. Methods**

producing more than 1 million m3

USA (6.5 million m3

renewable alternative, easily accessible and more environmentally sustainable compared to fossil fuels. Among the biofuels, biodiesel has attracted attention since it is produced from simple and abundant raw materials, such as vegetable oils, animal

Biodiesel is one of the most important energy commodities in the world. The

largest producers in 2019. Germany is the largest producer of biodiesel in the European

Argentina, Poland, Malaysia and Thailand are also important players in this market,

cantly worldwide, which results also in an increase in the amount of glycerol produced as a by-product [5]. Glycerol has great potential for application in the production of high added-value chemicals due to four main factors: its availability; its low commercial value; for being a renewable raw material; and for providing more economically viable alternatives for the biodiesel industry [6]. This may lead to a decrease in biodiesel prices and could improve the glycerol market. Therefore, there is an opportunity to produce value-added molecules, such as acrylic acid, acrylonitrile and 1,3-propane-

The development of industrial processes that contemplate the conversion of raw materials from biomass into chemical products requires an economic analysis to define the molecules that are of greatest interest to the market. Data can be obtained free of charge from portals such as the International Trade Center (ITC), from the official portals of trade agencies in each country, such as Comex Stat in Brazil and, partially, from websites of market consulting companies. The ITC was developed to provide access to export statistical data and specifications from several countries. As market consulting companies publish detailed reports of the worldwide market assessment of various products, which take into account price, demand and market potential. However, these reports are expensive and difficult to be acquired by

In this context, this work presents methods and tools, easily accessible and free of charge, to search for information and parameters, analysis of the current market and the economic potential of products. In particular, data on glycerol and three of its main derivatives are analyzed: acrylonitrile, acrylic acid and 1,3-propanediol. Also, a simplified process design is presented for each of the selected derivatives,

In order to carry out an economic analysis of a given product of interest, it is important to obtain market data for the base country, where the industrial plant can be implanted, as well as for other countries, for assessment of international trade,

The market parameters of glycerol and each of its derivatives to be evaluated were obtained from the International Trade Center (ITC) portal and the Comex Stat portal. The future scenarios were obtained on the websites of consulting companies. This information must be carefully analyzed due to the differences in the assess-

ITC is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations that aims to promote business between countries, mainly developing countries, simplify the economy [9], and provide several market analysis tools, covering 220 countries and territories and 5300 products found in the Harmonized System (HS).

) and Brazil (5.9 million m3

[4]. The production of biodiesel has grown signifi-

), followed by France and Spain. Other countries such as

) were the

), Indonesia (6.2 million m3

researchers at universities and many research institutions.

**186**

#### **2.1 Search in the international trade Centre**

The Trade Map from ITC is accessed by the link https://www.trademap.org/Index. aspx. **Figure 1** shows an example of the search page.

It is possible to perform the search in different ways depending on the purpose of the analysis. One may insert the product code (isolated or group) or the location (country or region), choosing whether the study will be about import or export. The search can be carried out considering one of the five aspects: "Trade Indicators", "Yearly", "Quarterly", "monthly time series" or "Companies". In "Trade Indicators", more specific market data are obtained. It is also possible to choose the way in which the values will be arranged, yearly, quarterly or monthly, and, finally, the main companies that commercialize the product. The monthly, quarterly and yearly trade flows are available from the most aggregated level to the tariff line level. An example is given in the **Figure 2**, considering the option "Yearly Time Series" for the glycerol.

As shown in **Figure 2**, the search can take into account all countries or a specific country. Other criteria can be redefined using the same filters shown in **Figure 1**, such as operations (import, export or exchange balance), time (trade indicators, year, quarter, or month), category (country, product or service). Also, it can be filtered by market parameters (volume, value and others) and unit (depending on the parameter defined by the researcher).

Data such as export values, among others, are generated for each country and period, being initially listed in decreasing order of the values from the last year. According to **Figure 2**, crude glycerol is included in SH6 1520.00, which covers also water and glycerol lyes. In the example, the output data were obtained for the world, specifying the values in dollars of the exporting countries annually. In "Map", the world map shows the expressiveness of each country in different color scales, depending on the commercialized values of the product. In "Graph", the output data can be generated in graphs. In "download", the table of values can be exported to a spreadsheet or text files.

#### **2.2 Search in the Comex Stat**

The tool Comex Stat is accessed at "General Exports and Imports" through the link: http://comexstat.mdic.gov.br/pt/home. Results are shown in **Figure 3**, according to the type of operation (exports or imports), period of time and filters of interest. The information may be filtered according to the product code (SH or NCM), country or economic region, means of transport used and how the results should be displayed. If no input is given related to region, the search is carried out all over the world, The option "Net Weight" in Values filter shows the US\$ FOB (freight on board) value, which is used to indicate when liability and


**189**

*Market Prospecting and Assessment of the Economic Potential of Glycerol from Biodiesel*

ownership of goods is transferred from a seller to a buyer, and also the amount

As an example of using COMEX STAT, information for pure glycerol (NCM: 29054500) is evaluated. The results, i.e. the data for the Brazilian annual exports are

These data may be exported to a graph to evaluate the trends in imports or exports for the product over the years. Moreover, dividing the US\$ FOB by Net Weight, the average annual value for the product is obtained (US\$/weight), and it is possible to evaluate the trend of valorization or devaluation over the years. The data

Websites of most consulting companies present market reports, from which it is possible to get an idea of the future trend analysis for the main producing companies and product participation by region. Typically, these websites can be found using the keywords *global market share* and the name of the desired product.

The market growth forecast is defined based on the Compound Annual Rate of Growth (CAGR), which is the average annualized rate of revenue growth between two given years, assuming that growth takes place at an exponentially compound rate. As the world market is sensitive to constant changes, the forecast of the CAGR may vary yearly and according to the evaluation techniques used by a given

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93965*

*Example of results for glycerol and yearly time series option.*

commercialized in kilogram.

*Search by filters in the Comex Stat tool.*

may also be exported to a spreadsheet.

**2.3 Search in reports of market consulting companies**

shown in **Figure 4**.

**Figure 2.**

**Figure 3.**

#### **Figure 1.**

*Search of products in the trade map/ITC.*

*Market Prospecting and Assessment of the Economic Potential of Glycerol from Biodiesel DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93965*



#### **Figure 2.**

*Biotechnological Applications of Biomass*

Series" for the glycerol.

the parameter defined by the researcher).

exported to a spreadsheet or text files.

**2.2 Search in the Comex Stat**

**2.1 Search in the international trade Centre**

aspx. **Figure 1** shows an example of the search page.

The Trade Map from ITC is accessed by the link https://www.trademap.org/Index.

It is possible to perform the search in different ways depending on the purpose of the analysis. One may insert the product code (isolated or group) or the location (country or region), choosing whether the study will be about import or export. The search can be carried out considering one of the five aspects: "Trade Indicators", "Yearly", "Quarterly", "monthly time series" or "Companies". In "Trade Indicators", more specific market data are obtained. It is also possible to choose the way in which the values will be arranged, yearly, quarterly or monthly, and, finally, the main companies that commercialize the product. The monthly, quarterly and yearly trade flows are available from the most aggregated level to the tariff line level. An example is given in the **Figure 2**, considering the option "Yearly Time

As shown in **Figure 2**, the search can take into account all countries or a specific country. Other criteria can be redefined using the same filters shown in **Figure 1**, such as operations (import, export or exchange balance), time (trade indicators, year, quarter, or month), category (country, product or service). Also, it can be filtered by market parameters (volume, value and others) and unit (depending on

Data such as export values, among others, are generated for each country and period, being initially listed in decreasing order of the values from the last year. According to **Figure 2**, crude glycerol is included in SH6 1520.00, which covers also water and glycerol lyes. In the example, the output data were obtained for the world, specifying the values in dollars of the exporting countries annually. In "Map", the world map shows the expressiveness of each country in different color scales, depending on the commercialized values of the product. In "Graph", the output data can be generated in graphs. In "download", the table of values can be

The tool Comex Stat is accessed at "General Exports and Imports" through the link: http://comexstat.mdic.gov.br/pt/home. Results are shown in **Figure 3**, according to the type of operation (exports or imports), period of time and filters of interest. The information may be filtered according to the product code (SH or NCM), country or economic region, means of transport used and how the results should be displayed. If no input is given related to region, the search is carried out all over the world, The option "Net Weight" in Values filter shows the US\$ FOB (freight on board) value, which is used to indicate when liability and

**188**

**Figure 1.**

*Search of products in the trade map/ITC.*

*Example of results for glycerol and yearly time series option.*


#### **Figure 3.**

*Search by filters in the Comex Stat tool.*

ownership of goods is transferred from a seller to a buyer, and also the amount commercialized in kilogram.

As an example of using COMEX STAT, information for pure glycerol (NCM: 29054500) is evaluated. The results, i.e. the data for the Brazilian annual exports are shown in **Figure 4**.

These data may be exported to a graph to evaluate the trends in imports or exports for the product over the years. Moreover, dividing the US\$ FOB by Net Weight, the average annual value for the product is obtained (US\$/weight), and it is possible to evaluate the trend of valorization or devaluation over the years. The data may also be exported to a spreadsheet.

#### **2.3 Search in reports of market consulting companies**

Websites of most consulting companies present market reports, from which it is possible to get an idea of the future trend analysis for the main producing companies and product participation by region. Typically, these websites can be found using the keywords *global market share* and the name of the desired product.

The market growth forecast is defined based on the Compound Annual Rate of Growth (CAGR), which is the average annualized rate of revenue growth between two given years, assuming that growth takes place at an exponentially compound rate. As the world market is sensitive to constant changes, the forecast of the CAGR may vary yearly and according to the evaluation techniques used by a given


#### **Figure 4.**

*Brazilian annual exports for pure glycerol.*

company. Particularly for 2020, the influence of COVID-19 on the growth of product markets has been reported. Due to decreasing in the world growth, the demand for fuels decreased momentarily in 2020 and may return more slowly in 2021.
