Exploring the Types of Glycol Ether and Their Uses

Glycol ethers have a variety of uses across industries due to their far-reaching role as solvents. Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem explains a few of their uses under the categories of “e-series” (ethylene oxide) and “p-series” (propylene oxide) formulations.

Ethylene Oxide Uses

Personal Care

In a process called ethoxylation, ethylene oxide creates more water soluble shampoos, conditioners, and body washes. 

Textiles

For printing, leather, and other textiles, e-series glycol ether acts as a solvent or co-solvent for industrial and waterborne coating. It can be found in dyes, enamels, water-based paints, lacquers and inks.

Medical Industry

The addition of ethylene oxide during the manufacture of medicines strengthens the delivery of those medications to patients. The ability to sterilize medical equipment is foremost in hospital care. Approximately 50% of all ethylene oxide produced is specified for sterilization of medical devices.

Chemistry

Ethylene oxide functions as a chemical intermediate in synthesizing ethanolamines, glycol ethers, and surfactants. The end results are products such as antifreeze, de-icers, gas drying agents, lubricants, and polyester resins. Using ethylene oxide as a raw material also produces polyester, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – the building block for plastic bottles.

Automotive

Antifreeze and de-icers in vehicles are formulated to work in temperature extremes. Adding ethylene oxide counters these temperature fluctuations so well it is used not only in land vehicles but in commercial airliners as a de-icing agent.

Propylene Oxide Uses

Cleaners

Coupling solvents increase the reaction of a chemical, and propylene oxide is one of those components helping hard surface cleaners and many other soap/hydrocarbon formulations work through the toughest grime.

Degreasers

Industrial settings find p-series glycol ether a proven solvent. Many specialty formulae rely on p-series glycol ether as an ingredient. Studies have proven propylene glycol is less irritating and cleans better than ethylene glycol; for this reason many manufacturers are choosing p-series formulations over e-series. 

Polyurethane

As the main component of polyether polyols, propylene oxide’s foremost role is the manufacture of polyurethane.

Tree Nuts

Fumigating almond and pistachio orchards with propylene oxide prevents Salmonella contamination.

Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including glycol ether. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Glycol Ether Uses Across Industries

Glycol ether has been considered a high-performance industrial solvent since the 1960s. Divided into two categories, ethylene glycol (e-series glycol ethers) is the end result of an ethylene oxide reaction, while propylene glycol (p-series) is derived from propylene oxide. These categories greatly differentiate glycol ether’s uses with e-series glycol ethers used in cosmetics, dyes, pharmaceuticals, skin care products, and water-based paints. P-series glycol ethers are generally used in cleaners and paints. Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem would like to introduce a few of the many uses of glycol ethers across industries.

Cleaner 

Glycol ether’s low toxicity and reduction of surface tension give it key status as a detergent and soap solvent, as it easily removes stubborn build-up. With a fast evaporation rate, items and surfaces are ready to use quickly. Glycol ether can be found in carpet cleaner, floor cleaner, oven cleaner, and window and glass cleaner.

Coalescent 

Film integrity increases for latex paints in architectural and industrial maintenance with the addition of glycol ether.

Coating Agent 

Amine-solubized water-based coatings benefit from glycol ether’s complete water solubility, decreased evaporation rate, extreme coupling ability, high flash point, and low surface tension. Aerospace, architectural, automotive, coil, and construction industries rely on glycol ether for these abilities.

General Solvent

In agriculture, both herbicides and insecticides benefit from the solvency of glycol ether. Acrylics, alkyds, epoxies, gum, nitrocellulose, perfume, polyesters, and polyurethanes also maintain complete solvency with glycol ether. Glycol ether enhances the glossiness of products and flow-out of lacquers.

Graphic Arts 

Glycol ether cures quickly in acrylates, non-ractives, and photoinitiators. When added to ink, it thins the consistency, leading to a lower viscosity ink.

Oil Slick Dispersant 

During oil spills, such as the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill, glycol ether plays a role as an ingredient in an oil slick dispersant. Dispersants act as detergents on oil, breaking the slick into droplet-sized particles to dilute throughout the water.

Rubber Modification

Glycol ether easily infiltrates rubber and plastic products, changing the physical properties of those materials.

Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including glycol ether. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Glycerin Use Across Industries

Glycerol has long been recognized as an important ingredient in health and beauty products. However, it has dozens of other roles across industries, and scientists are striving to discover even more functions for this amazing product. Industrial ingredient supplier Bell Chem stocks 99.5% glycerin for all industries. 

Medication

To replicate the sweet flavor found in food and beverages, the pharmaceutical industry adds vegetable glycerin to cough syrup and throat lozenges. Medications with glycerin in their lists of ingredients include suppositories, cough medications, gel capsules, ear drops and eyewashes. Patients with glaucoma use ophthalmic drops containing glycerin to reduce dangerous intraocular pressure. During surgery, glycerin may be administered to reduce brain pressure. Physicians also prescribe glycerin products to patients undergoing colonoscopies or ocular surgery. 

Biodiesel

Glycerin had a darker side for a few decades as the main waste component of biodiesel. Nearly 10% of manufactured biodiesel is crude glycerin. Unlike refined glycerin used in pharmaceuticals and foods, crude glycerin was simply waste. It was too time and labor intensive to refine it, and the sheer amount of biodiesel produced created an abundance of crude glycerin. This byproduct of a growing industry perplexed scientists, and has led to countless experiments to utilize this growing reserve. Now livestock producers are using glycerol, also known as glycerin, in animal feed, so cows and other cattle benefit from its energy when glycerol is used as a feedstock for biological chemical synthesis.

Other Products

Aside from the uses listed here, glycerin has proven useful in a variety of other products including the following: 

• Glycerin is renowned for its syrupy viscosity, which is why manufacturers use it in plumping bakery products. Glycerin’s high viscosity also leads to its inclusion in liqueurs, topical creams, oral care products, and toothpaste.

• Smooth, slippery soap owes much of its texture to glycerin. Since it is also added to bubble-blowing solutions, it is safe to say glycerin helps create both large and small suds. 

• In textile manufacturing, glycerin may be used in dyeing fabric because of its viscosity, hygroscopic properties, and its ability to penetrate fabric and suspend dyes. Surprisingly, glycerin also finds a role in reducing static cling in textiles.

Future Uses

Glycerin has already proved itself in the health and beauty sector, the medical field, and more. We expect to see even more evolution of this versatile chemical as time goes on. Promising future industrial use includes the biosynthesis of citric acid from crude glycerin, possible hydrogen fuel production, and its use as an alternative to polymer petrochemicals.  

The future is promising for glycerin, and Bell Chem wants to ensure its customers have the supply of glycerin they require. Bell Chem is your industrial ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including 99.5% glycerin. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.

Glycol Ether EB

Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, more commonly known as glycol ether EB, butoxyethanol, or 2-Butoxyethanol, is an organic compound with the chemical formula BuOC2H4OH with a sweet odor reminiscent of its family line of ethers. Customers of the industrial chemical supplier, Bell Chem, have found glycol ether EB useful as a surfactant in the home, in businesses, and industrially. Considering 200-500 kilotons of glycol ether are produced annually, chances are your business depends on this United States high-production volume chemical (a chemical whose production exceeds 100 kilotons a year) to keep it running smoothly.

• Glycol ether’s unique chemical structure of an alcohol and an ether give it hydrophobic and water soluble properties.
• With over 300 types of glycol ethers, customers are able to select the appropriate chemical with the flame resistance, solubility, and volatility they require.
• As a solvent, glycol ether is an ingredient in many coatings, including latex paints, resins, lacquers, varnishes, and enamels.
• Foam in fire extinguishers, oil spill dispersants, asphalt release products, degreasers, and varnish removers are a wide array of products that use glycol ether EB as a solvent.
• Many cleaners and protectants contain glycol ether as an ingredient, including leather buffers, whiteboard cleaners, liquid hand and body soap, and dry cleaning solutions. In fact, glycol ether EB is the prime ingredient in hundreds of cleaning solutions used worldwide because of its ability to break down both hydrophilic and hydrophobic particles.
• The USFDA has deemed glycol ether appropriate for use directly and indirectly within the food industry as an ingredient in adhesives, antimicrobial agents, defoamers, and stabilizers.
• The petroleum industry relies on glycol ether EB as a drilling stabilizer, oil slick dispersant, and in water-based and oil-based fracturing fluids. Glycol ether lowers the surface tension of products, stabilizing fluids pumped under extremely high pressures. As a dispersant, it prevents congealing, which aids in the release of gas.

Thousands of industries rely on glycol ether EB. Your business can undoubtedly use it as a safe, effective dispersant and solvent as well. Contact the industrial chemical supplier, Bell Chem, today at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to speak with one of our representatives concerning glycol ether EB or any of our other industrial chemicals. Our blogs contain information on chemicals and food additives, including nutritional supplements, personal care ingredients, sanitation chemicals, and technical-grade chemicals.