Difference between revisions of "Glycerol"
(New page: '''Glycerol''', or glycerin, is a clear, colourless, viscous, sweet-tasting liquid organic compound of the alcohol family, chemical formula HOCH2CHOHCH2OH. With three hydroxyl groups, ...) |
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| − | '''Glycerol''', or glycerin, is a clear, colourless, viscous, sweet-tasting liquid organic compound of the alcohol family, chemical formula HOCH2CHOHCH2OH. With three [[hydroxyl]] groups, it can form three types of [[ester]]s ([[monoglyceride]]s, [[diglyceride]]s, and [[triglyceride]]s). Mono- and [[diglyceride]]s are common food additives. Fats and oils are [[triglyceride]]s; their processing into [[soap]] was the chief source of glycerol until the mid-20th century, when industrial synthesis took over. | + | '''Glycerol''', or glycerin, is a clear, colourless, viscous, sweet-tasting liquid [[organic]] compound of the alcohol family, chemical formula HOCH2CHOHCH2OH. With three [[hydroxyl]] groups, it can form three types of [[ester]]s ([[monoglyceride]]s, [[diglyceride]]s, and [[triglyceride]]s). Mono- and [[diglyceride]]s are common food additives. Fats and oils are [[triglyceride]]s; their processing into [[soap]] was the chief source of glycerol until the mid-20th century, when industrial synthesis took over. |
| − | Glycerol has thousands of uses, including as an emulsifier, softening agent, plasticizer, and stabilizer in baked goods, ice cream, and tobacco; in skin lotions, mouthwashes, and cough medicines; as a protective medium for freezing [[red blood cell]]s, [[sperm]], [[cornea]]s, and other tissues; in printing inks and in the gums and resins in paints and coatings; in antifreeze mixtures; as a nutrient in [[fermentation]]; and as a raw material for [[nitroglycerin]]. | + | Glycerol has thousands of uses, including as an [[emulsifier|emulsion]], softening agent, plasticizer, and stabilizer in baked goods, [[ice cream]], and tobacco; in skin lotions, mouthwashes, and cough medicines; as a protective medium for [[freezing]] [[red blood cell]]s, [[sperm]], [[cornea]]s, and other tissues; in printing inks and in the gums and resins in paints and coatings; in antifreeze mixtures; as a nutrient in [[fermentation]]; and as a raw material for [[nitroglycerin]]. |
[[Category:Chemistry]] | [[Category:Chemistry]] | ||
Revision as of 02:33, September 19, 2007
Glycerol, or glycerin, is a clear, colourless, viscous, sweet-tasting liquid organic compound of the alcohol family, chemical formula HOCH2CHOHCH2OH. With three hydroxyl groups, it can form three types of esters (monoglycerides, diglycerides, and triglycerides). Mono- and diglycerides are common food additives. Fats and oils are triglycerides; their processing into soap was the chief source of glycerol until the mid-20th century, when industrial synthesis took over.
Glycerol has thousands of uses, including as an emulsion, softening agent, plasticizer, and stabilizer in baked goods, ice cream, and tobacco; in skin lotions, mouthwashes, and cough medicines; as a protective medium for freezing red blood cells, sperm, corneas, and other tissues; in printing inks and in the gums and resins in paints and coatings; in antifreeze mixtures; as a nutrient in fermentation; and as a raw material for nitroglycerin.