Home > Glycerine
5 Applications
5.1 Drugs
5.2 Personal care
- Serves as a humectant, solvent and lubricant in personal care products
- Competes with sorbitol although glycerine has better taste and higher solubility.
- Toothpaste, mouthwashes, skin care products, hair care products and soaps
- Glycerine is a component of glycerine soap, which is made from denatured alcohol, glycerine, sodium castorate (from castor), sodium cocoate, sodium tallowate, sucrose, water and parfum ( fragance ). Sometimes one adds sodium laureth sulfate. This kind of soap is used by people with sensitive, easily irritated skin, contains no detergents. and prevents skin dryness with its moisturizing properties.
5.3 Foods and beverages
- Serves as humectant, solvent and sweetener, may help preserve foods.
- Solvent for flavors (such as vanilla) and food coloring.
- Humectant and softening agent in candy, cakes and casings for meats and cheeses .
- Manufacture of mono- and di-glycerides for use as emulsifiers
- Used in manufacture of polyglycerol esters going into shortenings and margarine.
- Used as filler in low-fat food products (i.e., cookies).
5.4 Polyether polyols
- One of the major raw materials for the manufacture of polyols for flexible foams, and to a lesser extent rigid polyurethane foams
- Glycerine is the initiator to which propylene oxide/ethylene oxide is added
5.5 Alkyd resins (plastics) and cellophane
- Used in surface coatings and paints
- Used as a softener and plasticizer to impart flexibility, pliability and toughness
- Uses include meat casings, collagen casings (medical applications)and nonmeat packaging
- Plasticizer in cellophane.
5.6 Absolute alcohol
5.7 Other applications
- Manufacture of paper as a plasticizer, humectant and lubricant
- Humectant for pet foods to retain moisture and enhance palatability
- Used in lubricating, sizing and softening of yarn and fabric
- Used in de-/anti-icing fluids
- Patent applications have been filed for detergent softeners and surfactants based on glycerine (i.e., alkyl glyceryl ethers) instead of quaternary ammonium compounds.
- A way to preserve leaves is to submerge them in a solution of glycerin and water.
- Use a mixture of one part glycerin to two parts water. Place the mixture in a flat pan, and totally submerge the leaves in a single layer in the liquid. You'll have to weigh them down to keep them submerged. In two to six days, they should have absorbed the liquid and be soft and pliable. Remove them from the pan and wipe off all the liquid with a soft cloth. Done correctly, the leaves will remain soft and pliable indefinitely.
See also: oleochemicals.
6 External links
Glycerine is also the title of a single from the album Sixteen Stone by the band Bush.
Alcohols Food additives
