Views: 259 Author: Vickey Publish Time: 2023-06-09 Origin: Site
A vicinal diol, ethylene glycol has the chemical formula (CH2OH)2 and is an organic molecule with the IUPAC name ethane-1,2-diol. It is primarily utilized for two things: as a raw material to make polyester fibers and as an ingredient in antifreeze compositions. It is a thick liquid that has no flavor, color, or odor. Despite having a pleasant flavor, ethanol is harmful in large quantities. In space, this molecule has been seen.
Ethylene glycol is widely used, and the following is a detailed introduction of the use of ethylene glycol.
Ethylene glycol is mostly used as an antifreeze agent in coolants for things like autos and air conditioning systems that either have to cool below the freezing point of water or position the chillers or air handlers outside. Ethylene glycol is the fluid that transfers heat in geothermal heating and cooling systems by way of a geothermal heat pump.Depending on whether the system is being used for heating or cooling, the ethylene glycol either absorbs energy from the source (lake, ocean, or water well) or transfers heat to the sink.The specific heat capacity of pure ethylene glycol is around half that of water. Ethylene glycol reduces the specific heat capacity of water mixes compared to pure water, even if it offers freeze protection and a higher boiling point. Coolant and antifreeze solutions get further advantages from the addition of ethylene glycol to water, including protection against corrosion and acid degradation as well as a reduction in microbial and fungal development.
Pure ethylene glycol freezes at about −12 °C (10.4 °F) but, when mixed with water, the mixture freezes at a lower temperature. For instance, at 45 °C (49 °F), a solution of 60% ethylene glycol and 40% water freezes. Diethylene glycol has comparable properties. Although the colligative feature of solutions may be used to explain the freezing point depression of some mixes, intermolecular interactions have a larger role in highly concentrated mixtures like the one in the example, where behavior that deviates from perfect solution behavior is predicted. Although pure and distilled water will have a higher specific heat capacity than any antifreeze and water combination, it's crucial to remember that commercial antifreezes typically also contain an anti-corrosive additive to stop pure water from corroding coolant passages in the engine block, cylinder head(s), water pump, and radiator.
Ethylene glycol is used as an antifreeze in car engines, a de-icing agent for windshields and airplanes, and as a component of vitrification (anticrystallization) mixes for the low-temperature preservation of biological tissues and organs due to the low freezing temperatures.The addition of ethylene glycol lowers the freezing point and raises the boiling point of aqueous solutions. As a result, the heat-transfer fluids' operational temperature range is widened at both ends of the temperature spectrum. Pure ethylene glycol has a substantially higher boiling point and lower vapor pressure than pure water, which accounts for the rise in boiling temperature.
Ethylene glycol is a crucial precursor of polyester fibers and resins in the plastics industry. Ethylene glycol is used to create polyethylene terephthalate, which is used to produce plastic bottles for soft drinks.
Similar to triethylene glycol (TEG), ethylene glycol is used in the natural gas sector to remove water vapor from natural gas before further processing.
Because of its high boiling point and affinity for water, ethylene glycol is a useful desiccant. In lengthy multiphase pipelines that transport natural gas from distant gas fields to a gas processing plant, ethylene glycol is frequently used to prevent the development of natural gas clathrates (hydrates). After going through a purification process to get rid of the water and inorganic ions, ethylene glycol may be recovered from the natural gas and utilized again as an inhibitor.
