Glycerin is one of the most versatile compounds produced from renewable sources. It can be obtained from vegetable oils or animal fat. Today, much of the glycerin supply in the world comes from biodiesel. Its origin, or identification, dates from 1779 by a Swedish chemist named Carl W. Sheele; and over these more than 240 years, numerous applications have been developed – there are more than 1500 applications in the literature, ranging from the most delicate, such as intravenous drugs to industrial use in resins or explosives. Naturally, the degree of purity varies with the needs of each type of application.
Its physicochemical characteristics help to understand this variety of uses: it is a viscous, stable, colorless, odorless liquid, with a slightly sweet taste and totally miscible with water.

It is practically a wild card for many needs, such as:
– Glycerin with humectant function, that is, maintaining the moisture in the skin in cosmetic formulations until the humidity in the tobacco leaves of cigars and cigarettes.
– Glycerin as a chemical intermediary in the production of epichlorohydrin – which will later be converted into epoxy resins for various uses in the industry of industrial paints, floors and decorative pieces, for example.
Glycerin was the first antifreeze used in car radiator fluids, and today it is presented again in this application as a renewable substitute to its petrochemical competitor.
The food industry uses glycerin with functions ranging from preservative, emulsifier to sweetener.

Lumina has been exporting glycerin for many years and we currently have business in more than 30 countries on 5 continents and we are always learning something new about this versatile, non-toxic and renewable product.