Leaping Blog Reviews

Glycerin: what is it?

Posted by UniquePoster under Business

Glycerin (glycerine) or glycerol is known for numbar of years years. It was found by Swedish chemist Carl Scheele in 1779. Initially waste of soap making process it is now an important product on its own. His priceless qualities are countless. It is often used in many industries either itself or its derivatives from chemical reaction.

Glycerin is created by interaction between fat and lye - the most common reaction in soap making. One of the most mentioned merits of glycerine it is ability to soften and moisturize the skin and the hair. It is so outstanding that many companies don't want to glycerin in cheap plain soap. They extract it from the primary material to use in their high quality products such as lotions, moisturiser and other fancy skin care products.

But small companies that specialized in soap don't take out this product. That is the reason why home made soap often feels nice to the skin and has that stron moistening and softening effect. Glycerin is also good solvent so it dissolves different oils - the quality vastly exploited in the industry.

But this almost domestic and cute glycerin has its dark side - when mixed with some acid it turns into nasty nitroglycerin the explosive of the highest rate. It is so sensitive that even couldn't be used on ots own neither in mining no in military - faintest distubance would set it off (don't try it yourself).

It was none but Alfred Nobel who invented process of mixing nitroglycerin with clay. This blend was more stable and was named "dynamite". Nobel made a lot of money producing it which up to our days represents a base of Nobel Prize fund, (yes the Peace Prize too).

But don't let that small piece of information take you off, pure glycerine is absolutely harmless and useful both in and out. Take advantage of it.