propylene glycol propylene glycol propylene glycol (iupac name: propane-1,2-diol) is a viscous, colorless liquid, which is nearly odorless but possesses a faintly sweet taste. its chemical formula is ch3ch(oh)ch2oh. containing two alcohol groups, it is classed as a diol. it is miscible with a broad range of solvents, including water, acetone, and chloroform. in general, glycols are non-irritating and have very low volatility. propylene glycol ball-and-stick model space-filling model names preferred iupac name propane-1,2-diol other names propylene glycolα-propylene glycol1,2-propanediol1,2-dihydroxypropanemethyl ethyl glycolmethylethylene glycol identifiers cas number 57-55-6 racemic y4254-15-3 s-enantiomer 3d model (jsmol) interactive image chebi chebi:16997 y chembl chembl286398 y chemspider 13835224 y echa infocard 100.000.307 ec number 200-338-0 e number e1520 (additional chemicals) kegg c00583 pubchem cid 1030 rtecs number ty6300000 unii 6dc9q167v3 y942194n4td (s-enantiomer) y comptox dashboard (epa) dtxsid0021206 inchi inchi=1s/c3h8o2/c1-3(5)2-4/h3-5h,2h2,1h3 ykey: dniapmsppwpwgf-uhfffaoysa-n y smiles cc(o)co properties chemical formula c3h8o2 molar mass 76.095 g·mol−1 appearance colourless liquid odor odorless density 1.036 g/cm3 melting point −59 °c (−74 °f; 214 k) boiling point 188.2 °c (370.8 °f; 461.3 k) solubility in water miscible solubility in ethanol miscible solubility in diethyl ether miscible solubility in acetone miscible solubility in chloroform miscible log p -1.34 thermal conductivity 0.34 w/m-k (50% h2o @ 90 °c (194 °f)) viscosity 0.042 pa·s pharmacology atcvet code qa16qa01 (who) hazards ghs labelling: hazard statements precautionary statements nfpa 704 (fire diamond) 0 1 0 related compounds related glycols ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °c , 100 kpa). y verify (what is yn ?) infobox references it is produced on a large scale primarily for the production of polymers. in the european union, it has e-number e1520 for food applications. for cosmetics and pharmacology, the number is e490. propylene glycol is also present in propylene glycol alginate, which is known as e405. propylene glycol is a compound which is gras (generally recognized as safe) by the us food and drug administration under 21 cfr x184.1666, and is also approved by the fda for certain uses as an indirect food additive. propylene glycol is approved and used as a vehicle for topical, oral, and some intravenous pharmaceutical preparations in the u.s. and in europe. structure the compound is sometimes called (alpha) α-propylene glycol to distinguish it from the isomer propane-1,3-diol, known as (beta) β-propylene glycol. propylene glycol is chiral. commercial processes typically use the racemate. the s-isomer is produced by biotechnological routes. production industrial industrially, propylene glycol is mainly produced from propylene oxide (for food-grade use). according to a 2018 source, 2.16 m tonnes are produced annually. manufacturers use either non-catalytic high-temperature process at 200 °c (392 °f) to 220 °c (428 °f), or a catalytic method, which proceeds at 150 °c (302 °f) to 180 °c (356 °f) in the presence of ion exchange resin or a small amount of sulfuric acid or alkali. final products contain 20% propylene glycol, 1.5% of dipropylene glycol, and small amounts of other polypropylene glycols. further purification produces finished industrial grade or usp/jp/ep/bp grade propylene glycol that is typically 99.5% or greater. use of usp (us pharmacopoeia) propylene glycol can reduce the risk of abbreviated new drug application (anda) rejection. propylene glycol can also be obtained from glycerol, a byproduct from the production of biodiesel. this starting material is usually reserved for industrial use because of the noticeable odor and taste that accompanies the final product. laboratory s-propanediol is synthesized via fermentation methods. lactic acid and lactaldehyde are common intermediates. dihydroxyacetone phosphate, one of the two products of breakdown (glycolysis) of fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, is a precursor to methylglyoxal. this conversion is the basis of a potential biotechnological route to the commodity chemical 1,2-propanediol. three-carbon deoxysugars are also precursor to the 1,2-diol. a small-scale, nonbiological route from d-mannitol is illustrated in the following scheme: applications polymers forty-five percent of propylene glycol produced is used as a chemical feedstock for the production of unsaturated polyester resins. in this regard, propylene glycol reacts with a mixture of unsaturated maleic anhydride and isophthalic acid to give a copolymer. this partially unsaturated polymer undergoes further crosslinking to yield thermoset plastics. related to this application, propylene glycol reacts with propylene oxide to give oligomers and polymers that are used to produce polyurethanes. propylene glycol is used in water-based acrylic architectural paints to extend dry time which it accomplishes by preventing the surface from drying due to its slower evaporation rate compared to water. food and drug propylene glycol is also used in various edible items such as coffee-based drinks, liquid sweeteners, ice cream, whipped dairy products and soda. vaporizers used for delivery of pharmaceuticals or personal-care products often include propylene glycol among the ingredients. in alcohol-based hand sanitizers, it is used as a humectant to prevent the skin from drying. propylene glycol is used as a solvent in many pharmaceuticals, including oral, injectable, and topical formulations. many pharmaceutical drugs which are insoluble in water utilize propylene glycol as a solvent and carrier; benzodiazepine tablets are one example. propylene glycol is also used as a solvent and carrier for many pharmaceutical capsule preparations. additionally, certain formulations of artificial tears use propylene glycol as an ingredient. propylene glycol is commonly used to de-ice aircraft antifreeze the freezing point of water is depressed when mixed with propylene glycol. it is used as aircraft de-icing and anti-icing fluid. a 50% water-diluted and heated solution is used for removal of icing accretions from the fuselages of commercial aircraft on the ground (de-icing), and 100% undiluted cold solution is used only on wings and tail surfaces of an aircraft in order to prevent ice accretion from forming during a specific period of time before takeoff (anti-icing). normally, such time-frame is limited to 15–90 minutes, depending on the severity of snowfall and outside air temperature. water-propylene glycol mixtures dyed pink to indicate the mixture is relatively nontoxic are sold under the name of rv or marine antifreeze. propylene glycol is frequently used as a substitute for ethylene glycol in low toxicity, environmentally friendly automotive antifreeze. it is also used to winterize the plumbing systems in vacant structures. the eutectic composition/temperature is 60:40 propylene glycol:water/−60 °c. the −50 °f/−45 °c commercial product is, however, water rich; a typical formulation is 40:60. electronic cigarettes liquid a bottle of flavored e-liquid for vaping shows propylene glycol as one of the main ingredients along with vegetable glycerin. propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, or a mixture of both, are the main ingredients in e-liquid used in electronic cigarettes. they are aerosolized to resemble smoke and serve as carriers for substances such as nicotine and flavorants. miscellaneous applications as a solvent for many substances, both natural and synthetic. as a humectant (e1520). as a freezing point depressant for slurry ice. in veterinary medicine as an oral treatment for hyperketonaemia in ruminants. in the cosmetics industry, where propylene glycol is very commonly used as a carrier or base for various types of makeup. for trapping and preserving insects (including as a dna preservative). for the creation of theatrical smoke and fog in special effects for film and live entertainment. so-called 'smoke machines' or 'hazers' vaporize a mixture of propylene glycol and water to create the illusion of smoke. while many of these machines use a propylene glycol-based fuel, some use oil. those which use propylene glycol do so in a process that is identical to how electronic cigarettes work; utilizing a heating element to produce a dense vapor. the vapor produced by these machines has the aesthetic look and appeal of smoke, but without exposing performers and stage crew to the harms and odors associated with actual smoke. as an additive in pcr to reduce the melting temperature of nucleic acids for targeting of gc rich sequences. as a surfactant, it is used to prevent water from beading up on objects. it is used in photography for this purpose to reduce the risk of water spots, or deposits of minerals from water used to process film or paper. safety in humans when used in average quantities, propylene glycol has no measurable effect on development and/or reproduction on animals and probably does not adversely affect human development or reproduction without active use. the safety of electronic cigarettes—which utilize propylene glycol-based preparations of nicotine or thc and other cannabinoids—is the subject of much controversy. vitamin e acetate has also been identified in this controversy. oral administration the acute oral toxicity of propylene glycol is very low, and large quantities are required to cause perceptible health effects in humans; in fact, the toxicity of propylene glycol is one third of ethanol's. propylene glycol is metabolized in the human body into pyruvic acid (a normal part of the glucose-metabolism process, readily converted to energy), acetic acid (handled by ethanol-metabolism), lactic acid (a normal acid generally abundant during digestion), and propionaldehyde (a potentially hazardous substance). according to the dow chemical company, the ld50 (lethal dose that kills 50% of the test population) for rats is 20 g/kg (oral/rat). toxicity generally occurs at plasma concentrations over 4 g/l, which requires extremely high intake over a relatively short period of time, or when used as a vehicle for drugs or vitamins given intravenously or orally in large bolus doses. it would be nearly impossible to reach toxic levels by consuming foods or supplements, which contain at most 1 g/kg of pg, except for alcoholic beverages in the us which are allowed 5 percent = 50 g/kg. cases of propylene glycol poisoning are usually related to either inappropriate intravenous administration or accidental ingestion of large quantities by children. the potential for long-term oral toxicity is also low. in an ntp continuous breeding study, no effects on fertility were observed in male or female mice that received propylene glycol in drinking water at doses up to 10100 mg/kg bw/day. no effects on fertility were seen in either the first or second generation of treated mice. in a 2-year study, 12 rats were provided with feed containing as much as 5% propylene glycol, and showed no apparent ill effects. because of its low chronic oral toxicity, propylene glycol was classified by the u. s. food and drug administration as "generally recognized as safe" (gras) for use as a direct food additive, including frozen foods such as ice cream and frozen desserts. the gras designation is specific to its use in food, and does not apply to other uses. skin, eye and inhalation contact propylene glycol is often used in electronic cigarettes. propylene glycol may be non-irritating to the skin, see section allergic reaction below for details on allergic reactions. undiluted propylene glycol is minimally irritating to the eye, producing slight transient conjunctivitis; the eye recovers after the exposure is removed. a 2018 human volunteer study found that 10 male and female subjects undergoing 4 hours exposures to concentrations of up to 442 mg/m3 and 30 minutes exposures to concentrations of up to 871 mg/m3 in combination with moderate exercise did not show pulmonary function deficits, or signs of ocular irritation, with only slight symptoms of respiratory irritation reported. inhalation of propylene glycol vapors appears to present no significant hazard in ordinary applications. due to the lack of chronic inhalation data, it is recommended that propylene glycol not be used in inhalation applications such as theatrical productions, or antifreeze solutions for emergency eye wash stations. recently, propylene glycol (commonly alongside glycerol) has been included as a carrier for nicotine and other additives in e-cigarette liquids, the use of which presents a novel form of exposure. the potential hazards of chronic inhalation of propylene glycol or the latter substance as a whole are as-yet unknown. according to a 2010 study, the concentrations of pges (counted as the sum of propylene glycol and glycol ethers) in indoor air, particularly bedroom air, has been linked to increased risk of developing numerous respiratory and immune disorders in children, including asthma, hay fever, eczema, and allergies, with increased risk ranging from 50% to 180%. this concentration has been linked to use of water-based paints and water-based system cleansers. however, the study authors write that glycol ethers and not propylene glycol are the likely culprit. propylene glycol has not caused sensitization or carcinogenicity in laboratory animal studies, nor has it demonstrated genotoxic potential. intravenous administration studies with intravenously administered propylene glycol have resulted in ld50