Partial Glycerides-An Important Nonionic Surfactant for Industrial Ap- plications: An Overview

Partial glycerides are esters of glycerol with fatty acids containing some unreacted hydroxyl groups. Presence of hydroxyl groups in their molecules shows that these are polar in nature. Partial glycerides may be monoglycerides (two hydroxyl groups free) or diglycerides (one hydroxyl group free). Lower carbon chain partial glycerides are more strongly polar than long chain partial glycerides. Partial glycerides contain both a lyophilic and a lyophobic group in their molecules and termed as nonionic surfactants, as they do not produce ions in solution. They are compatible with other kind of surfactants and are excellent compounds to enter complex mixtures, as found in many commercial products. Partial glycerides based surfactants are found in a large variety of domestic and industrial products. They are often found in bakery, beverages, food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. This review paper describes the synthesis and applications of glycerol based nonionic surfactants.