Polyols Have Wide Applications in The Chemical Industry

Polyols are a chemical term that refers to a large class of alcohol compounds containing two or more hydroxyl groups (- OH) in a molecule. The general formula is C ₙ H (OH) ₓ (x ≥ 2).
Polyols are generally soluble in water and have characteristics such as high boiling point, strong ability to dissolve polar substances, low toxicity and volatility. They usually appear as viscous liquids or crystalline solids, and their boiling point, viscosity, relative density, and melting point increase with increasing molecular weight.
Polyols have a wide range of applications in the chemical industry, such as being the main raw material for preparing polyurethane adhesives. By selecting polyols with different relative molecular weights and molecular structures, polyurethane adhesives with different performance can be synthesized. In addition, polyols can also be used to produce industrial products such as alkyd resins, lacquers, polyester resins, explosives, as well as important intermediates for synthesizing dry oils, adhesives, plasticizers, and surfactants.
Common types of polyols include pentaerythritol, glycerol, trimethylolethane, xylitol, sorbitol, etc. The differences in chemical structure of these polyols can lead to differences in their performance and application.
In the process of preparing polyols, glycerol, pentaerythritol and other polyols can be used for ester exchange with oils, or unsaturated double bonds in vegetable oil can be used to prepare polyols through transition metal catalyzed carbonylation, ozone oxidation, epoxy ring opening, and other methods.