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[Chemical Knowledge]：Properties and Uses of MEG

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MEG, also known as ethylene glycol, is a colorless, odorless, viscous liquid. It has a wide range of uses in the field of chemical production raw materials, mainly used in the production of polyester fiber, antifreeze, unsaturated polyester resin, etc. This article will detail the nature and uses of MEG.

1. MEG properties

1. Physical properties
MEG is a colorless, transparent, tasteless viscous liquid, with a high boiling point and flash point, not volatile. It has strong hygroscopicity and can be miscible with water, ethanol, acetone and other solvents.

2. chemical properties
MEG has a certain acidity, can react with alkali metal hydroxide to generate salts. In addition, it can also react with carboxylic acids, esters, aldehydes, ketones and other compounds such as esterification, acetalization and the like. MEG is heated under acidic conditions and is prone to dehydration reactions to generate compounds such as glyoxal and vinyl aldehyde.

2. MEG USES

1. Production of polyester fiber
MEG is one of the important raw materials for the production of polyester fiber. Polyester fiber is a kind of synthetic fiber, with high strength, high elasticity, wear resistance and other advantages, widely used in textiles, clothing and other fields. MEG reacts with terephthalic acid (PTA) to produce polyester (PET), which is then made into polyester fiber through spinning, drawing and other processes.

2. Production of antifreeze
MEG can be used as one of the main components of antifreeze, used in the cooling system of automobiles, aviation, ships and other mechanical equipment. It can lower the freezing point, prevent the cooling system from freezing, and also has the functions of anti-corrosion and anti-scaling.

3. production of unsaturated polyester resin
MEG and unsaturated dibasic acid reaction to generate unsaturated polyester resin, widely used in the production of FRP products. Unsaturated polyester resin has the advantages of high strength, light weight, corrosion resistance, etc., and is used in the manufacture of glass fiber reinforced plastic ships, storage tanks, pipelines, etc.

4. Other uses
MEG can also be used to produce solvents, plasticizers, surfactants and other chemicals. In addition, it can also be used as a solvent for inks, coatings, etc., and raw materials for the manufacture of medicines, cosmetics, etc.

3. MEG production process

MEG production process mainly has two kinds of ethylene oxidation method and ethylene glycol method. Ethylene oxidation method is the reaction of ethylene and oxygen under the action of silver catalyst to produce ethylene oxide, and then react with water to produce ethylene glycol. Ethylene glycol law is the reaction of ethylene glycol and acetic acid to produce diethyl acetate, and then through hydrolysis, decarboxylation and other reactions to produce ethylene glycol.

4. MEG market prospects

With the continuous development of polyester fiber, antifreeze and other industries, MEG market demand is increasing year by year. In the future, with the progress of science and technology and the improvement of environmental awareness, the production process of MEG will be more environmentally friendly and efficient, and the product quality will be further improved. At the same time, the application field of MEG will continue to expand, injecting new vitality into the development of chemical production raw materials.

In short, MEG, as an important raw material for chemical production, has a wide range of uses and broad market prospects. With the continuous progress of science and technology and the expansion of application fields, MEG will play a more important role in the field of raw materials for chemical production.

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