ABSTRACT
Natural glycerine, as a byproduct of soap, fatty acids or fatty alcohol manufacture, can be valued in many different ways by its manufacturer, whereas synthetic glycerine is more dependent on propylene and equipment costs. With the rising costs for petrochemical raw materials and their diminishing availability, glycerine derived from abundantly available natural raw materials seems to be the choice of the future. Separating inorganic salts, fatty acid, soap residues, and other contaminants out, yields an extremely clean and colorless glycerine. The economic trend favors the production of natural glycerine, the more so as many countries rich in natural resources have started to expand their economies into the oleochemical market. The especially high demand for glycerine during the First and Second World War times, stimulated creative chemical minds to develop synthetic routes for the manufacture of glycerine. As alternate routes, creative minds developed or selected, depending on requirements, various kinds of substitutes for natural glycerine.
