The effects of operating factors on the synthesis of sodium lactate from glycerol at high temperature in alkaline aqueous solution were experimentally investigated and a kinetic analysis was conducted. Experiments with glycerol and NaOH as reactants clarified the effects of temperature and initial molar ratio of glycerol to NaOH on the formation of lactate and by-products. Experiments with lactate and NaOH as reactants revealed the dehydration, decaboxylation and C - C cleavage of lactate. Fitting lines based on the kinetic model were in good agreement with the experimental data. Numerical simulations suggested that high selectivity of lactate could be achieved within a short reaction time under conditions of higher initial concentration of glycerol than NaOH at a temperature of 623 K.