Making glycolic acid from ethylene glycol
If you want to make glycolic acid from ethylene glycol, this is an important task in the chemical industry. Ethylene glycol, a colorless and viscous liquid, has a peaceful nature and can dissolve with water and alcohols. To make it into glycolic acid, you need to find a good plan.

The method of viewing the chemical industry is often the technique of catalytic oxidation. Select a suitable catalyst, such as a certain type of metal oxide, and place it in a specific reactor. First adjust the temperature of the reaction and control it within a certain range, so that ethylene glycol and a specific oxidant, such as air or other oxygen-containing agents, interact with the help of the catalyst.

When reacting, you must pay attention to various variables. The temperature is high or low, depending on the speed of the reaction and the purity of the product. If it is too high, the side reaction will be produced, and the product will be heterogeneous; if it is too low, the reaction will be sluggish, time-consuming and energy-consuming. Pressure is also necessary, and moderate pressure can promote the anterograde reaction.

And the reaction environment should also be paid attention to. The choice of medium, either aqueous phase or organic phase, has advantages and disadvantages. The aqueous phase is inexpensive and environmentally friendly; the organic phase has good solubility to some reactants, which is conducive to the progress of the reaction.

After the reaction is completed, the product needs to be refined. By distillation, extraction, crystallization, etc., high-purity glycolic acid is obtained by removing impurities and preserving purity. Glycolic acid has a wide range of uses and is indispensable in the pharmaceutical, daily chemical, textile and other industries.

Therefore, the production of glycolic acid from ethylene glycol, although there are difficulties, it will be possible to make good use of science and technology and follow the laws of physics and chemistry, so as to benefit all industries.