glicerina

Glicerina, also known as glycerol or glycerin, is a simple polyol with the chemical formula C3H8O3. It is a colorless, odorless, highly viscous liquid with a characteristic sweet taste. Glycerin is hygroscopic, meaning it readily absorbs water from the surrounding air, and it is miscible with water, ethanol, and many organic solvents. It has a high boiling point and remains liquid over a wide temperature range, which makes it useful in a variety of applications.

Commercially, glycerin is produced mainly as a byproduct of biodiesel production from fats and oils, via transesterification, yielding crude glycerol that is refined for use in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. It can also be obtained through the hydrolysis or saponification of fats and oils. The refined product is colorless and highly pure, suitable for ingestion, topical use, or deployment as a solvent and humectant.

Uses and applications are diverse. In the food industry, glycerin acts as a humectant, solvent, and sweetener (E422) and can improve texture and moisture retention. In cosmetics and personal care, it is used as a humectant, emollient, and solvent in products such as lotions, toothpaste, and soaps. In pharmaceuticals, glycerin serves as an excipient, solvent, and demulcent in syrups and topical formulations, and it is used in rectal and vaginal dosage forms. It is also used in various industrial applications, including as a plasticizer and in the manufacture of propellants and t coatings.

Safety and regulation: glycerin is widely regarded as safe for use in food and cosmetics; it is non-toxic in ordinary exposures, though ingestion in large quantities can have laxative effects. It is biodegradable and generally regarded as environmentally benign.