A European Informational Website
learn more
Glycerol is a chemical compound with the formula HOCH<sub>2</sub>CH(OH)CH<sub>2</sub>OH. This colorless, odorless, viscous liquid is widely used in pharmaceutical formulations. With many names (see Table), it is a sugar alcohol and fittingly is sweet-tasting and of low toxicity. Glycerol has three hydrophilic alcoholic hydroxyl groups that are responsible for its solubility in water and its hygroscopic nature. Its surface tension is 64.00 @ 20 °C in mN/m and it has a temperature coefficient of -0.0598 mN/(m K). It is a central component of lipids.