Triethylene glycol is an additive that gets used in a lot of different applications. It is colorless, odorless, and is viscous when in a liquid state. What are some of its uses?
Disinfectant
Among other things, triethylene glycol is used as a disinfectant when it is aerosolized. Aerosolized means that it is in sprayable form in very small droplets. There are a lot of uses for this disinfecting property. It's often used in the medical field because it can be really useful against things like influenza. Since it is colorless and odorless, it is able to be used in larger spaces without the risk of irritating people, so it can be placed in automatic systems like disinfectants and deodorizing agents in places like bathrooms.
Desiccating Agent
Triethylene glycol is also used in the gas and oil fields. It is primarily used as a desiccant in the manufacture of natural gas. The way that it works is that natural gas is mixed with the TEG. The TEG then pulls the water out of the natural gas or any liquids associated with natural gas. It can be used as a desiccant for other products in the gas and oil industries, but natural gas is its primary usage in this case. It also works as a desiccant in air conditioners. You might not see it in your home air conditioning system, but it is more likely to see triethylene glycol used as a desiccant in larger, industrial systems. The TEG is placed as an additive to the fluids in the air conditioning system and will keep the water out of the system and make sure that the air conditioner is being used the way that it should.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid is actually a hydraulic fluid. It takes the pressure that you apply to the brake pedal and uses that pressure to stop your car. Brake fluid used to be made out of other things, but these days, it is generally made out of some kind of ethylene glycol. That's because brake fluid needs to have a high boiling point so that it will work when it's supposed to. It also needs to be viscous at all temperature ranges, and the ethylene glycols can help to provide that viscosity.
There are a lot of uses of triethylene glycol in everything from medical settings to the transportation fields. It can be used as a desiccant or a disinfectant, or an additive to make things work correctly.
Share23 September 2018
Hello, my name is Denver and this blog was created due to my fascination with various types of transportation. It all started when I was a child and I received my first train set for my birthday. As I got older, I also became interested in the big semi trucks that I would see on the highways while traveling with my family. It didn't stop there, I then became mesmerized by airplanes and helicopters. The subway system and monorails were next on my list of interests. I would constantly read books and try to find out additional information about all the different kinds of transportation. Because of this early obsession of mine, I am very knowledgeable about this subject. If you would like to learn about the various modes of transportation, I invite you to read my blog and to enjoy the information that I've gathered together.