What is ethylene glycol used for?
DESCRIPTION: Ethylene glycol is a useful industrial compound found in many consumer products. Examples include antifreeze, hydraulic brake fluids, some stamp pad inks, ballpoint pens, solvents, paints, plastics, films, and cosmetics. It can also be a pharmaceutical vehicle.
How is ethylene glycol used commercially?
Ethylene Glycols Facts Ethylene glycol is a chemical commonly used in many commercial and industrial applications including antifreeze and coolant. Ethylene glycol helps keep your car’s engine from freezing in the winter and acts as a coolant to reduce overheating in the summer.
What are materials used for polyurethane polymers?
One of the key reactive materials required to produce polyurethanes are diisocyanates. These compounds are characterized by a (NCO) group, which are highly reactive alcohols. The most widely used isocyanates employed in polyurethane production are toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and polymeric isocyanate (PMDI).
How do urethanes work?
What Is Polyurethane? It’s a kind of super-tough varnish formulated so that its microscopic chains of resin molecules will bond tightly with one another as it dries. The result is a finish that’s much more resistant to water, solvents, abrasion, and impacts than traditional varnishes.
Why ethylene glycol is used as coolant?
Ethylene glycol (antifreeze) is used in the cooling of a car radiator during the winter because it has a much lower freezing point than water. The specific heat of antifreeze (pure or mixed with water) is lower than that of pure water.
What chemicals are in polyurethane?
Polyurethanes are formed by reacting a polyol (an alcohol with more than two reactive hydroxyl groups per molecule) with a diisocyanate or a polymeric isocyanate in the presence of suitable catalysts and additives.
What chemicals are in polyurethane foam?
They are comprised of two chemicals which, when mixed and heated, form liquid polyurethane prior to being further processed. These chemicals are polyol, a type of complex alcohol, and diisocyanate, a petroleum byproduct that reacts strongly with alcohol. By combining the two, a stable long-chain molecule is formed.
What is the difference between MDI and TDI?
MDI stands for methylenediphenyl diisocyanate, while TDI stands for toluene diisocyanate. The key difference between MDI and TDI is that MDI is a light yellow crystalline solid, whereas TDI is a clear, colourless to pale yellow colour liquid.
How much glycol is needed?
How much glycol do I need in my system?
| Outdoor Temperature | Ethylene % of Glycol Required | |
|---|---|---|
| -5 | 20 | 18% |
| -12 | 10 | 24% |
| -18 | 0 | 32% |
| -23 | -10 | 39% |
The most common use of ethylene glycol is in antifreeze formulations. It is able to interfere with the hydrogen bonds in water, making it difficult for the water molecules to bind. This prevents the formation of ice crystals and in turn lowers the freezing point of water.
What is ethylene glycol and why is it dangerous?
Ethylene glycol is toxic to humans and causes a number of physiological problems, including death (the Disease Control Centre estimates the lethal dose between 1,400 and 1,600 mg/kg). It is absorbed through the skin (dermal route), respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts in the human body.
How is ethylene glycol made from ethylene?
Ethylene glycol manufactured on an industrial scale is produced by the hydrolysis of ethylene oxide obtained in the oxidation of ethylene. In the first stage of ethylene glycol production, ethylene and oxygen are introduced into a multichannel reactor.
What is ethylene glycol in geothermal heating?
In geothermal heating /cooling systems, ethylene glycol is the fluid that transports heat through the use of a geothermal heat pump. The ethylene glycol either gains energy from the source (lake, ocean, water well) or dissipates heat to the sink, depending on whether the system is being used for heating or cooling.