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.