ABSTRACT
Glycerine forms esters of many inorganic acids such as hydrogen halides, sulfuric, phosphoric, nitrous, nitric, and boric acids. Some of these are used as intermediates in chemical reactions, others have distinct end uses, such as tri-nitroglycerine, the well-known drug and explosive. The preparation of alkyd resins, which are polyester surface-coating resins, illustrates interesting examples of mixed esters of glycerine. Glycerine is quite stable in the presence of oxygen under normal conditions, but oxidizes in the presence of certain catalysts, such as iron or copper. The reactions are run at elevated temperature, which improves the miscibility of the fatty material with glycerine and increases the rate of reaction. The glycerine molecule contains two primary and one secondary hydroxyl group and the three hydroxyl groups are on adjacent carbons. When one or more of the hydroxyl groups of glycerine react with a variety of reagents, several isomers can be formed.
