Product Name : Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG)
Synonyms : 1,2-Ethanediol; Glycol; MEG; 1,2-Dihydroxyethane; 2-Hydroxyethanol; Glycol Alcohol; EG; Ethylene Glycol; Ethane-1,2-diol; Ethylene Alcohol; Ethylene Dihydrate
About the product: Ethylene glycol, an organic compound, is a colourless and odourless liquid with a sweet taste. It is miscible with all the common organic compounds. MEG is an essential raw material for a broad range of industrial applications. It is used to manufacture polyester resins, films and fibers. MEG also used to produce antifreezes, coolants, aircraft anti-icer and deicers and solvents. It is weakly toxic.
Product Identification Features:
CAS Number: 107-21-1
H.S. Code: 2905.31
Chemical formula: HOCH2CH2OH
Chemical Properties:
Melting point: -13 C
Boling point: 197- 198 C
Specific gravity: 1.115- 1.1156
Solubility in water: Miscible
Vapour density: 2.14
A brief history : Ethylene glycol was first prepared in 1856 by a French chemist Charles Adolphe Wutz. Prior to the First World War, commercial use of this compound was unheard of. It was only in 1917 that the United States of America produced ethylene glycol through ethylene cholohydrin. In 1925 Union Carbide Corp established the first large-scale glycol producing plant in South Charleston, West Virginia. 1929 onwards this compound was used in explosives industry. Vapour-phase oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide was a popular process. This compound has also been found in outer space.
Uses :
Used to manufacture inks and dyes.
Used to manufacture polyester resins and films
Used as a softener for textiles.
Used to produce antifreeze and engine-cooling liquids.
Used as a synthetic intermediate in chemical production.
Used to manufacture explosives.
Used as a humidifying and plasticizing agent.
Production Process : MEG can be produced from ethylene via the intermediate ethylene oxide which reacts with water. This reaction can be catalyzed by either acids or bases, or can occur at neutral pH under higher temperatures.
C2H4O + H2O → HO–CH2CH2–OH
Shell developed its own method to produce MEG, wherein ethylene oxide is converted with carbon dioxide to ethylene carbonate, which then reacts with water and thereby producing MEG. This method is known as the OMEGA process.
