Glycerine: Characteristics
Kosher, halal, vegetable or tallow: why origin changes price
What this tab covers The physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and uses, with the commercial grades and the standards that define them.Glycerine is sold by purity and by source certification. Crude is about 80% glycerol; refined grades are 99.5-99.7%. Buyers also specify kosher, halal, non-GMO and vegetable versus tallow origin, which carry different prices.
Properties that matter commercially
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glycerol content | crude about 80%; technical 99.5%; USP/kosher 99.7% (Argus grades) | sets grade and price | Argus Glycerine, issue 26-9, 5 Mar 2026 (sample) |
| Diethylene and ethylene glycol | USP limit 0.10% each (indicative) | safety in medicines | indicative |
| Colour and odour | APHA colour about 10 or lower for USP (indicative) | cosmetics and food need water-white product | indicative |
| Crude impurities | methanol about 0.5% or less, ash about 5-7%, MONG about 1-2% (indicative) | determine refining cost | indicative |
Commercial grades
- Crude 80% (vegetable, kosher, non-veg)
- Technical 99.5%
- USP/EP 99.7% (vegetable, tallow, kosher, non-GMO)
- Pharma grade in drums
- Mass-balance certified