Monoethylene Glycol (MEG)

Catalog	ACMA00031178
Description	Monoethylene Glycol (MEG) is a colorless, virtually odorless and slightly viscous liquid. It is miscible with water, alcohols, aldehydes and many organic compounds. MEG will not dissolve rubber, cellulose acetate or heavy vegetable and petroleum oils. MEG has a low volatility and it is 50% more hygroscopic than glycerol at room temperature. MEG can be transported in Epoxy coated MS tankers. It can be stored in MS containers lined with baked phenolic resin / air drying epoxy phenolic resin or vinyl resin. It is advisable to store MEG in a cool, dry place with good ventilation – away from heat, sparks or flames.
Synonyms	Ethane-1,2-Diol
Molecular Weight	62. 068 g / mol
Molecular Formula	(CH2OH)2
Boiling Point	197.3 Degree C
Melting Point	12.9 Degree C
Purity	MIN. 99.5% & ABOVE
Density	1.1132 g / cm³
Solubility	Solubility In Water: Miscible with water in all proportions
Appearance	Odourless Liquid
Application	Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG) is the most widely used chemical from the Glycol family. It is an essential raw material for Polyester fibres and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) polymer. MEG based products are also used as coolants in Automobile antifreeze, resins, humectants for paper etc.
Form	Liquid
Grade	Industrial Grade
Packaging	230 Kg

Case Study

Monoethylene Glycol Used in the Synthesis of Aromatic Polyester Polyol and Polyurethane Elastomer

Shafiq, Muhammad, et al. Polymers, 2021, 13(19), 3436.

Aromatic polyester polyols are prepared by polyesterification of adipic acid, terephthalic acid, catalyst and monoethylene glycol (MEG); while polyurethane elastomers are prepared by prepolymerization of polyols with the pure monomer methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI).
Synthesis procedure of MEG-based polyurethanes
· A 1000 mL round-bottom flask was used to synthesize aromatic polyester polyol by mixing mono ethylene glycol, adipic acid, and terephthalic acid in a specific ratio and homogenizing them for 13 to 15 minutes. Terephthalic acid, being aromatic, produced the polyester polyol. A shaker, thermometer (up to 300 °C), nitrogen gas inlet duct, distillation apparatus, and heat exchanger were attached to the heating mantle. A catalyst (TITP) was added to speed up the polyesterification reaction, and the mixture was boiled in a nitrogen environment for 8 hours at 180 °C.
· To prepare polyurethane elastomer, a blend of aromatic polyester polyol, catalyst, and chain extender was made, with nitrogen purged into it. The mixture was heated to 60 °C, agitated, cooled, and then mixed with MDI-based prepolymer using a high-speed blender. Different weight ratios of prepolymer/polyol were used based on the chain extender concentration. Catalysis was achieved by adding DABCO EG catalyst. The polyurethane elastomer product was stabilized using Silicon DC193. After molding and mixing for 10 seconds, the mixture was left in a desiccator at room temperature for 24 hours to create samples of polyurethane elastomers.

Monoethylene Glycol in the PTA Process of Polyethylene Terephthalate

Rao, Puli Nageswar, et al. SN Applied Sciences, 2021, 3, 1-11.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber is the most widely used synthetic organic fiber, and more than 60% of PET production is used for synthetic fibers. The purified terephthalic acid (PTA) route of PET processing has gradually replaced the dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) route in industrial applications. In the PTA route, monoethylene glycol (MEG) and purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and medium purified terephthalic acid (MTA) are used as raw materials for the manufacture of PET.
Main steps of PET processing
· The primary stages in PET processing involve initial preparation of raw materials, whereby the raw material is continuously fed into a paste preparation vessel along with the catalyst solution. No chemical reactions occur in the paste preparation vessel.
· The second stage involves esterification or transesterification, with the esterification process occurring in two reactors. The paste is moved from the paste preparation vessel to the first esterification reactor where the reaction proceeds to over 90% conversion. In the second reactor, the conversion rate increases to over 96%.
· The third step is pre-polycondensation, which takes place in the pre-polycondensation reactor. During this stage, the esterification degree rises to more than 99% and the polymer chain length increases.
· The last step is polycondensation, with antimony as a catalyst, and the pre-condensation product is sent to the final polycondensation reactor, which is controlled under vacuum and high temperature. Then, the polyester melt can be processed into various forms such as fibers, chips, and filaments.