During the more than 200 years since the discovery of glycerol, with the improvement of production technology and the unique physical and chemical properties of glycerol, its application has become more and more extensive. Since the advent of high-quality distilled glycerol in the 1950s, glycerol has become an important subject in the research and development of cosmetics. At the end of the 19th century, Alfred Nobel invented Dynamite explosive with nitroglycerin, which played an important role in mining and war. Glycerol was used as a plasticizer for bone glue before synthetic resin appeared. At low temperature, glycerol and lead monoxide form a solidified substance as a sealant. Glycerol fatty acids and polyglycerol fatty acids are important food additives. Medium carbon chain glycerol fatty acids are additives for special health foods and medicines. Glycerol is an indispensable chemical raw material in industry, medicine and daily life.
In the United States, personal care products (including skin care products, hair care products and soaps) account for 24%, food and beverage for 23%, oral protective products (toothpaste, oral lotion) for 16%, tobacco for 12%, polyether polyols for carbamate for 9%, medicine for 7%, alkyd resin for 3%, and other (including cellophane, explosives, plasticizers, wetting agents, lubricants) for 6%.
The market trend of glycerin in the United States is that personal care products are growing at an average annual rate of 3.1%. The strong growth of sunscreens reflects the public’s greater concern about the damage caused by solar radiation. Because of its solubility and taste, glycerol has more advantages than sorbitol in toothpaste and oral lotion. The market of oral care has increased by 2% annually, and the growth of food is very strong.
In recent years, China’s glycerol market has been very active. As one of the eight basic chemical raw materials, glycerol has been widely used in nearly 2000 products in medicine, food, tobacco, cosmetics, ink, national defense, leather, printing and dyeing, paint, synthetic resin, pesticides, toothpaste and other industries.
Glycerol is a natural product, safe and non-toxic, so the use of some pharmaceutical products, cosmetics and food fields directly related to the human body is increasing.
As the byproduct glycerol of biodiesel increases, the supply and demand of glycerol have changed. Excess glycerol and affordable price not only break the original pattern of natural glycerol and synthetic glycerol production (direct synthetic glycerol enterprises consider their own living space), but also change the production of glycerol from epichlorohydrin to epichlorohydrin and using glycerol as raw material. Through developing new catalysis, glycerol directional conversion to 1,2-propanediol technology, the price is less than 50% of the current petrochemical route.
