What is Glycerin ?
Glycerin, also commonly called glycerol, is a colorless, odorless and non-toxic liquid with a sweet taste. Glycerin, which is miscible with water and alcohol, can be natural or synthetic. Natural glycerin is produced as a result of the hydrolysis of animal or vegetable fats. Hydrolysis is the reaction of a substance with water and, as a result, the breakdown of a chemical bond. It is produced by chemical processes involving synthetic glycerin, petroleum, propylene and chlorine.
It also is used as a humectant for food preservation, to thicken ice creams, in cough syrups, candles and soaps. Because of its exceptional moisturizing properties, It is widely used in skin care products.
Why is it called glycerin?
Its name comes from the Greek “glykeros” which means sweet.
What is this product made from?
It is a sugar alcohol arrived from animal products, plants or petroleum and vegetable glycerin is the variant made from plant oils.
Types of glycerin?
There are two different types of glycerin
- Vegetable
- Petrochemical
Product formula description
It is a colorless, odorless slightly sweet dense liquid. Glycerin consists of 35% glycerin, 20% methanol, 30% oil, 10% water, 5% sodium. It is formulated as C3H8O3.
The molecular formula of it is C3H5 (OH) 3. It consists of a chain of three carbon atoms in which each carbon atom is attached to a hydrogen atom (H+) and a hydroxyl group (OH-). Each of the two terminal carbon atoms has an additional hydrogen atom so that all three carbon atoms form a total of four bonds. Carbon has a valence of four, meaning it has a tendency to form four bonds.
What is this product used for?
It is also used for the purpose of drying flowers.
- FOOD
It is used as a humectant, solvent and sweetener in foods and beverages and helps preserve food and regulates ice cream structure.
- COSMETIC
It is found as a component in personal care products such as toothpaste, mouthwashes, skin care products, shaving creams, hair care products, etc.
It is also used as a second ingredient in soap making.
- AGRICULTURE
Feed additive used before and after birth in cattle, sheep and goats, for ketosis, pregnant and puerperal animals, animal nutrition, premix,
- PAINT
It is used at paints and paper industry to prevent difficult stains such as ink from drying and to remove the stain.
Other uses of glycerin
- It is used to prevent difficult stains such as ink from drying out and to remove the stain.
- It is used in making dynamite. Dynamite can be made by combining Trini glycerin and nitric acid. Only when combined with nitric acid, it is used to make nitro glycerin, which is very strong.
- It has anti-freeze properties.
- It is used as a humectant, solvent and sweetener in food and beverages and helps preserve food.
- It fixes the structure in ice cream.
- It is used as a thickener in low-fat foods and as a thickener in liqueurs.
- It is used instead of sugar. Its sweetness is 60% of sucrose, its calorie is equivalent to that of table sugar, but it does not raise the level of sugar in the blood.
- It is used in cough syrups.
- It is found in ointments applied externally to the skin in diabetes.
- It is used as a suppository in constipation.
- It is used as a solvent and lubricant in personal care products. Most toothpastes, mouthwashes, skin care products, shaving creams, hair care products contain it.
- It is used as a second ingredient in soap making.
- It is used in candle making.
- It is used as a humectant in hookah tobacco.
- is used to make nitro glycerin, which is very strong.
Descriptions and differences between 3 types of Glycerin
Crude one
Crude Glycerin contains a significant amount of methanol, water, soaps and salts and typically has a glycerol content of anywhere between 40 to 88%. Crude Glycerol is a natural by-product produced during the biodiesel production process, specifically taking place during transesterification.
Technical Grade
Technical grade glycerin is a refined, high-purity product that is water white with most of its contaminants completely removed. And also, Its contains on methanol, soaps, salts, and other foreign matter. Biodiesel plants purchased from SRS intimation, unlike many of our competitor’s plants, produce technical grade is right from the start.
USP grade of product
USP grade one is a pharmaceutical grade it suitable for food, personal care, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other specialty applications. All of these products have met the US pharmacopeia specifications .
Storage conditions of the product
Glycerol should preferably be stored at 40-60 deg C under nitrogen blanketing. It is not corrosive and presents little risk of ignition because of its high flash point, highly concentrated glycerol does not corrode steel.
Glycerin oral solution on should be stored in tight containers at a temp less than 40 deg C, preferably between 15-30 deg C, freezing should be avoided.
It rectal suppositories should preferably be stored at less than 25 deg C,
Glycerin Specifications
Differences between Crude Glycerin, Technical Grade and USP grade
properties |
Crude Glycerin |
Technical Grade Glycerin |
99.7 -USP grade Glycerin |
Glycerol Content |
40-88% |
98.0 Min |
99.70% |
Ash |
2.0% Max |
N/A |
N/A |
Moisture Content |
N/A |
2.0% Max |
0.3% Max |
Chlorides |
N/A |
10 ppm Max |
10 ppm Max |
color |
N/A |
40 Max (Pt-Co) |
10 Max. (APHA) |
Specific Gravity |
N/A |
1.262 (@25C) |
1.2612 Min |
Sulfate |
N/A |
N/A |
20 ppm Max |
Assay |
N/A |
N/A |
99.0-101.0% (on dry basis) |
Heavy Metals |
N/A |
5 ppm Max |
5 ppm Max |
Chlorinated Compounds |
N/A |
30 ppm Max |
30 ppm Max |
Residue on lgnition |
N/A |
N/A |
100 ppm Max |
Fatty Acid & Ester |
N/A |
1.00 Max |
1.000 Max |
Water |
12.0% Max |
5.0 Max |
5.0 Max |
Ph (10% solution) |
4.0-9.0 |
4.0-9.0 |
N/A |
DEG and Related Compounds |
N/A |
N/A |
Pass |
Organic Volatile Impurities |
N/A |
N/A |
Pass |
Organic Residue |
2.0% Max |
2.0% Max |
N/A |