n.
or glycerin
Clear, colourless, viscous, sweet-tasting liquid organic compound of the alcohol family, chemical formula HOCH 2 CHOHCH 2 OH. With three hydroxyl ( 2015; OH) groups, it can form three types of ester s (monoglycerides, diglycerides, and triglyceride s).
Mono-and diglycerides are common food additives. Fat s and oil s are triglycerides; their processing into soap was the chief source of glycerol until the mid-20th century, when industrial synthesis took over. Glycerol has thousands of uses, including as an emulsifier, softening agent, plasticizer, and stabilizer in baked goods, ice cream, and tobacco; in skin lotions, mouthwashes, and cough medicines; as a protective medium for freezing red blood cells, sperm, corneas, and other tissues; in printing inks and in the gums and resins in paints and coatings; in antifreeze mixtures; as a nutrient in fermentation ; and as a raw material for nitroglycerin .