A little more than two hundred years ago a chemist named Carl W. Scheele from Sweden heated olive oil and an oxide of lead called litharge. He was amazed to discover a thick liquid that came out of the mixture. He did not know what it was at first. And never did he think it would become one of the most important industrial and commercial chemicals in the world today. He named it glycerol, from the Greek word glykys, meaning sweet. Indeed he discovered a sweet-tasting substance. During the next studies made about the compound, it was identified to be a major component of fats and oils – that it is in chemical combination with fatty acid molecules to form glycerides. In the coming centuries since its inception, it became widely used in industrial manufacturing. This compound is also known as glycerin or glycerine.

In its pure form C3H8O3 or glycerol has no odor and color but has a sweet taste. It is a thick, syrupy liquid and is quite miscible in alcohol and water. In fact, there are instances that the chemical is used as a solvent. It does not dissolve in hydrocarbons though. At very low temperatures it solidifies into crystals that melt at 18 degrees Celsius. The liquid form boils at 290 degrees Celsius at standard conditions.