Renewable, Biobased Propylene Glycol for Personal Care

Posted: November 22, 2011

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) has launched a renewable, biobased propylene glycol that meets US Pharmacopeia (USP) and the US Department of Agriculture's Certified Biobased Product Label standards. EVO-100 (INCI: Not Provided) is manufactured by the company using the catalytic process hydrogenolysis to readily convert glycerin into propylene glycol. According to the company, it is the first to make a biobased propylene glycol that complies with USP requirements.

The reaction between glycerin and hydrogen reportedly takes place at high temperature and pressure over a unique catalyst to produce propylene glycol and water. As a result, propylene glycol is then purified to either industrial-grade or USP-specifications-grade using ADM’s expertise in separation technology.

The USP-grade propylene glycol is an excipient of monopropylene glycol (PG or MPG) with a specified purity greater than 99.5%. Applications include: heat transfer fluids, fragrances, cosmetics and personal care products, food and flavorings, pet food/animal feed or as a pharmaceutical excipient.

The propylene glycol can be used as an emollient base for such products as: antiperspirants, sunscreens, shave creams, eye drops, contact lens solution and beauty ointments. It is also a chemical intermediate used to make several chemical ingredients that are used as moisturizers, wetting agents, glossing agents, pigment stabilizers and ingredient carriers.

The biobased propylene glycol facility began start-up operations in late March 2011 with industrial-grade, biobased propylene glycol production. Since that time, ADM has ramped up the plant’s production capacity and worked toward adding production of propylene glycol that meets USP specifications.