Alkylene Oxides and Glycols from BASF -
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Alkylene oxides, especially the two main products ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, are highly reactive compounds that are produced by the oxidization of olefins from the steam cracker. 

Alkylene oxides, especially the two main products ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, are highly reactive compounds that are produced by direct or indirect oxidization of olefins from the steam cracker. Both compounds are very reactive, easily flammable and are processed into glycols using hydrolysis (reaction with water).

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Glycols are often used in coolants and antifreeze agents as well as in de-icing products as there melting point is below the one of water.

Glycols are basic materials used in a wide variety of products. Monoethylene glycol (MEG), for example, is a key raw material for the well-known BASF engine coolant Glysantin^®. BASF' s customers also need MEG to manufacture functional sports and casual wear from polyester fibers or to produce polyester resins. Most consumers are familiar with lightweight PET bottles - here too, MEG is one of the main components.

Thanks to their specific properties, propylene glycols (PG) can be found in a very wide range of applications. For example, they are used in technical applications as heat-transfer fluids or antifreeze agents, as components for manufacturing fire-resistant brake and hydraulic fluids and as a raw material for airplane de-icing agents.

For more stringent requirements, such as those in the cosmetics industry, 1,2-Propylene Glycol USP can be produced in high-purity odorless quality. This opens up other fields of applications in the food and feed industry, the aroma and fragrancechemicals sector and the pharmaceutical industry.