Mono Ethylene Glycol
Mono ethylene glycol (MEG) is an organic compound with the formula C2H6O2. It is a slightly viscous liquid with a clear, colorless appearance and a sweet taste that emits virtually no odor. It’s miscible with water, alcohols, and many other organic compounds and is primarily used in the industry for manufacturing polyester fibers and as a component in the production of antifreeze, coolants, aircraft anti-icers and de-icers.
Technical Properties
Synonyms: mono ethylene glycol, mono ethyl glycol, meg glycol, ethylene glycol, 1,2-ethanediol, Ethane-1,2-diol, EG, industrial glycol, 1,2-Dihydroxyethane, glycol alcohol.
Cas Number: 107-21-1
Molecular Mass: 62.07 g/mol
Flashpoint: 111.11 °C
Autoignition temperature: 410 °C
Boiling Point: 197.6 °C at 760 mm Hg
Melting Point: -12.8 °C
Vapour Pressure: 0.06 mm Hg at 20 °C
Density: 1.115 at 20 °C
Applications
Mono ethylene glycol is more commonly used as a polymer precursor but also in antifreeze as well as in a wide variety of industries.
Polymer Precursor: There is strong global demand for mono ethylene glycol in the plastic industry as it is a vital ingredient in the production of polyester fibres, films, and resins, one of which is polyethene terephthalate (PET). PET is created by heating ethylene glycol with terephthalic acid in an esterification reaction. This chemical is then converted into plastic bottles, microwaveable containers and is even used in the textile industry. It is estimated that 70-80% of all the MEG consumed is used as a chemical intermediate in these polyester production processes.
Antifreeze: A primary industry use of mono ethylene glycol is in antifreeze applications where it is a component in the manufacture of antifreeze, coolants, aircraft anti-icers and deicers due to its ability to depress the freezing temperature of the water. While pure ethylene glycol freezes at -12.9 °C, when mixed with water this can greatly reduce to around -45 °C with 60% ethylene glycol and 40% water. Bitter flavourings are usually added to MEG used in antifreeze to reverse the sweet taste which may encourage children and animals to consume the chemical.
Alkyd resins: Mono ethylene glycol is also used in the manufacture of alkyd resins which are used to form a film in paints, enamels, and varnishes.
Gas industry: ethylene glycol is used to remove water vapour from the gas before it is processed further. Here, it is also used as a desiccant in gas pipelines to stop the formation of clathrates.