# Glycerine

Glycerine is the 10% by-product of biodiesel and fat splitting, refined for personal care, pharma, food and resins; about 5-6 Mt a year.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/

Bio-based chemicals · Oleochemicals · No. 108

- Single chemical
- Feedstock: Crops and biomass
- about 5-6 Mt a year of pure glycerol equivalent (indicative, basis: about 0.1 t per t of 45-50 Mt FAME plus about 1 Mt from fat splitting and fatty alcohols)
- 1.1 t CO₂e per t
- HS 290545, 152000
 Bio-based chemicals · Oleochemicals · Foundation · Matter

Nobody sets out to make glycerine: it simply falls out whenever fat becomes biodiesel or soap.

Chart: Illustration: Glycerine

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Every fat molecule has a glycerine backbone, released at about 0.1 t per tonne when oil becomes biodiesel or fatty acids.

##### Three things to know

1. Biodiesel supplies about three-quarters of the world's glycerine, so fuel mandates, not toothpaste demand, decide supply.
2. In March 2026, US refined glycerine fetched $1,279-1,477 a tonne while crude sold for just $419-551.
3. India imported 128 kt of crude glycerine in 2024, making it the fourth-largest importer.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Oils and fats**Palm, soy, rapeseed, tallow, used cooking oil
2. 2 **Biodiesel or splitting**About 0.1 t glycerol per tonne
3. 3 **Crude glycerine**About 80% pure, with salts and methanol
4. 4 **Refining**Distilled and bleached to 99.5-99.7%
5. 5 **Users**Toothpaste, medicines, food, resins, chemicals
 Covered in [Colour and protection: dyes, pigments, paints and coatingsChemicals](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/chemicals/dyes-pigments-coatings/)[Soaps, detergents and agrochemicalsChemicals](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/chemicals/soaps-detergents-agrochemicals/)

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/glycerine/links/index.md)