Glycol Test Kits
What is Glycol?
Glycol is an organic compound that is a part of the alcohol family. Glycol is an umbrella term that may refer to several different individual glycol compounds. Ethylene glycol (C2H6O2) and propylene glycol (C3H8O2) find use in many industrial applications. These chemicals are primary ingredients in commercially available antifreezes. Ethylene glycol and the chemicals derived from it are toxic if ingested or inhaled. Propylene glycol is less toxic than ethylene glycol, but it is less thermally efficient and more expensive.
Why Test for Glycol?
Glycols are used in water systems or cooling systems to keep temperatures low and prevent freezing. They are also used as a component of corrosion inhibitors that protect metal surfaces in cooling water systems. Glycol testing is commonly done in potable waters to ensure that there is no contamination from a cooling system.
Glycol is often found in deicing chemicals that are used on aircrafts and occasionally roads. In these cases, monitoring glycol is done to ensure that local bodies of water are not being contaminated by stormwater effluent.
As glycol is a recyclable chemical, glycol testing is also performed by recycling operations to ensure purity and efficiency of the process.
About Our Test Kits
CHEMetrics K-4815 is a CHEMets visual test kit that utilizes the Purpald®-Periodate method to measure the concentration of ethylene or propylene glycol in water. This test creates a purple-complex color in direct relation to the concentration of glycol. Test results are expressed in ppm (mg/L) of ethylene glycol but can be converted to ppm (mg/L) propylene glycol by multiplying the results by 2. The ethylene glycol test kit measures in the 1-15 ppm & 10-300 ppm range. To measure up to 12,000 ppm ethylene glycol, sample dilution steps described in the kit instructions are followed. This test requires much less time to perform and involves fewer manipulations than the standard chromotropic acid procedure.
Shelf-life: Five Months. We recommend stocking quantities that will be used within four months.
Click on the catalog number in the table below for more information on how to test for glycol in water or to purchase a glycol test kit.
Visual Kits
| Range | MDL | Method | Kit Catalog No. | Refill Catalog No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-15 & 10-300 ppm ethylene glycol (EG) (up to 12,000 ppm EG or 24,000 ppm propylene glycol w/sample dilution) | 1 ppm | Purpald-Periodate | K-4815 | R-4815 |
Method
References: Purpald® developed by Aldrich Chemical Company. Fritz, James S. and Schenk, George H., Quantitative Analytical Chemistry, 4th ed., p. 277 (1979).In the colorimetric chemistry, periodic acid oxidizes ethylene glycol and/or propylene glycol to formaldehyde, which reacts with Purpald in alkaline solution. Test results are expressed as ppm (mg/L) ethylene glycol. To convert results to ppm propylene glycol, multiply by 2.This test requires much less time to perform and involves fewer manipulations than the standard chromotropic acid procedure.