Ethylene glycol [107-21-1,] 1,2-ethanediol, HOCH2CH2OH, Mr62.07, usually called glycol, is the simplest diol. It was first prepared by WURTZ in 1859 [1]; treatment of 1,2-dibromoethane [106-93-4] with silver acetate yielded ethylene glycol diacetate, which was then hydrolyzed to ethylene glycol.
Ethylene glycol was first used industrially in place of glycerol during World War I as an intermediate for explosives (ethylene glycol dinitrate) [2], but has since developed into a major industrial product.
The worldwide capacity for the production of ethylene glycol via the hydrolysis of ethylene oxide [75-21-8] (! Ethylene Oxide) is estimated to be ca. 7x106 t/a.
Ethylene glycol is used mainly as an antifreeze in automobile radiators (--> Antifreezes) and as a raw material for the manufacture of polyester fibers (--> Fibers, 4. Synthetic Organic; -->Polyesters).