Ethylene glycol is a key ingredient in automotive antifreeze and coolant, to help keep a car’s engine from overheating or from freezing in the winter. It is a major component of deicing solutions used in cars, boats and aircraft

Industrial Applications

The primary use of ethylene glycol is for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic resin used to make beverage containers for soda, water and juice, and polyester fiber for clothes, upholstery, carpet, and pillows. Ethylene glycol has a variety of other industrial uses, including:

• The manufacture of fiberglass used to make products such as jet skis, bathtubs and bowling balls.
• The manufacture of ink for ballpoint pens and other inks. Ethylene glycol helps increase ink viscosity and makes it less likely to evaporate.
• Heat transfer fluids such as industrial coolants for gas compressors, heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems and ice skating rinks. Ethylene glycol gives industrial coolants properties that help them flow through cooling systems while withstanding extreme hot and cold temperatures.