Glycerin
Glycerin, or Glycerine, a syrupy alcohol that is colorless and odorless and has a sweet taste. It is usually called glycerol by chemists. Glycerin dissolves readily in other alcohols and in water, but is insoluble in such common solvents as ether, benzene, and ethyl acetate. Most glycerin is produced as a by-product of the soap industry. The natural fats used as raw material for soap are converted into fatty acids and glycerin by reaction with water in a chemical process called hydrolysis. The glycerin is then purified by distillation with steam. Large quantities of glycerin are also made by the reaction of chlorine and propylene, followed by hydrolysis.
Because it absorbs moisture from the air, glycerin is used in drugs, foods, tobaccos, cosmetics, gaskets, papers, and adhesives to prevent them from drying out. Glycerin adds flexibility to certain plastic materials. It is an important ingredient of alkyd resins, used in paints and varnishes. Glycerin is used in manufacturing nitroglycerin, the chief ingredient in dynamite.
Formula: CH2OHCHOHCH2OH. Specific gravity: 1.26; boiling point: 554 F. (290 C.).