Discussion

Introduction
Glycerin, sometimes spelled glycerin, is a commercial product whose
principal component is glycerol. Glycerin is obtained from fats and oils during
soap and fatty acid production and Glycerol, the main component of glycerin,
has the chemical formula C3H5(OH)3. hese !ualities enable glycerin to be
used as a humectants, plastici"er, emollient, thic#ener, sol$ent, dispersing
medium, lubricant, sweetener, bodying agent, antifree"e and processing aid.
Glycerin is used in many consumer products such as personal care
preparations, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and foods because of its stability
and compatibility with a wide $ariety of chemicals, and relati$e non%to&icity.
'arge !uantities of glycerin are now obtained as a by%product in the
manufacture of soaps and candles.
Mechanism:
(ater has $ery little e)ect on combined glycerol but that it signi*cantly
reduces free glycerol in the ester .Glycerin is o+cially described as follows, -.
clear, colorless, li!uid, of a thic#, syrupy consistence, oily to the touch,
odorless, $ery sweet and slightly warm to the taste. (hen e&posed to the
air, it slowly abstracts moisture. /oluble, in all proportions, in water or
alcohol, also soluble in a mi&ture of 3 parts of alcohol and 0 part of ether, but
insoluble in ether, chloroform, carbon disulphide, ben"in, ben"ol, and *&ed or
$olatile oils. Glycerin is slowly $olatili"ed from an a!ueous solution, at or
abo$e 0112 C. (3032 4.), with the $apor of water. Heated by itself to a higher
temperature, it yields acrid decomposition products and is *nally entirely
decomposed and dissipated. he e&ceedingly irritating decomposition
products are chie5y due to the formation of acrolein. he e&ceedingly
irritating decomposition products are chie5y due to the formation of acrolein
(allyl aldehyde, C3H3.CHO), which is also formed when fats are burned, or
when glycerin is heated with strong sulphuric acid.
Turbidity:
Occasionally a batch of washed ester may end up with turbidity caused by
traces of condensed moisture. his moisture may be con$eniently remo$ed
(e$aporated) by aeration with dry air, using the gas di)usion dis#s from the
washing step, to increase the surface contact between the air and the ester.
/light warming along with the aeration also hastens the remo$al of this trace
of moisture. he simplest trihydric alcohol, formula6 C3H5(OH)3. he name
glycerol is preferred for the chemical, but commercially the product is usually
called glycerin, sometimes spelled glycerine, which are interchangeably used.
7n the transesteri*cation process, oils and8or fats rich in triglycerides are
mi&ed with an alcohol such as methanol and base such as potassium or
sodium hydro&ide, resulting in a methyl ester biodiesel stream and a
glycerine side stream. his glycerine side stream typically contains a mi&ture
of glycerine, methanol, water, inorganic salts (catalyst residue) free fatty
acids, unreacted mono%, di%, and triglycerides, methyl esters, and a $ariety of
other matter organic non%glycerol (9O:G) in $arying !uantities. he
methanol is typically stripped from this stream and reused, lea$ing behind,
after neutrali"ation, what is #nown as crude glycerine. 7n raw form, this crude
glycerine has high salt and free fatty acid content and substantial color
(yellow to dar# brown). Conse!uently, crude glycerine has few direct uses
due to the presence of the salts and other species, and its fuel $alue is also
marginal. he ;/ biodiesel industry generates millions of gallons of crude
glycerin waste each year, and the amount produced is growing rapidly along
with the dramatic growth of biodiesel production.
PURIFICATION OF GLYCRIN:
One initial step common to all glycerol puri*cation processes is that fat, soap
and other organic impurities need to be chemically separated and remo$ed
by *ltration and8or centrifugation. 4inal puri*cation is typically completed
using $acuum distillation followed by acti$ated carbon bleaching for large
operations or ion e&change followed by 5ash drying to remo$e water for
smaller capacity plants. <acuum distillation is $ery e&pensi$e in terms of
capital cost and energy consumption, cannot always be carried out
continuously and is accompanied by considerable losses of glycerol. 7n order
to separate glycerol from higher boiling point impurities the mi&ture needs to
be additionally sub=ected to se$ere thermal stresses that further result in
additional losses of glycerol and creates more decomposition products.
>ecause of the high salt content, ion e&change is not economically practical,
unless it is used to polish a diluted low salt content glycerol%in%water solution.
U!! OF GLYCRIN:
hese !ualities enable glycerin to be used as a humectants, plastici"er,
emollient, thic#ener, sol$ent, dispersing medium, lubricant, sweetener,
bodying agent, antifree"e and processing aid. Glycerin is used in many
consumer products such as personal care preparations, cosmetics,
pharmaceuticals and foods because of its stability and compatibility with a
wide $ariety of chemicals, and relati$e non%to&icity. 'arge !uantities of
glycerin are now obtained as a by%product in the 9anufacture of soaps and
candles.