Definition and Areas of Use :
It is a colorless transparent sticky liquid with a sweet taste and moisture absorption ability. It is also miscible with water, low-grade aliphatic alcohols, glycerol, acetic acid, acetone, ketones, aldehydes, pyridine and similar coal tar bases. It is slightly soluble in ether but almost insoluble in benzene and its homologues, chlorinated hydrocarbons, petroleum ether and oils.
Areas of Use
Mono ethylene glycol is mainly used as an antifreeze agent for the preparation of automobile cooling systems and as a raw material for the production of polyethylene terephthalate (polyester fiber raw material and plastic material).
It can also be used in the production of synthetic resins, solvents, lubricants, surfactants, softeners, moisturizers, explosives, etc.
Glycol can often be used as an alternative to glycerol and can often be used as a hydrating agent and solvent in the tanning industry and the pharmaceutical industry.
Glycol has a strong solubility, but it can be easily oxidized to toxic metabolic oxalic acid, and therefore cannot be widely used as a solvent. Ethylene glycol can be added to hydraulic fluid and used to prevent the melting of oil-based hydraulic fluid on the rubber of the system.
Water-based hydraulic fluid with ethylene glycol as the main component is a flammable hydraumatic fluid and can be applied to aircraft, automobiles and high-temperature molding machines.
As an antifreeze in emulsion paints, aqueous systems.
Used as a solvent for casein, gelatin, dextrin, some phenol-formaldehyde resins, alkyd resins and dyes.
Also gives lubricity and ease of application to paint. Mono ethylene glycol is also used as a heat-transfer agent.