Ethylene glycol is a clear, colorless, odorless, slightly syrupy liquid at room temperature, with a sweet to bittersweet taste. Ethylene glycol is used in hydraulic brake and radiator fluids, as well as in deicing solution. This substance increases the boiling point and decreases the freezing point of radiator fluid. When it is used as an automotive antifreeze, it is often mixed with a yellow-green fluorescent dyes and a bitter taste to reduce the chances of accidental ingestion. Ethylene glycol is also used as a solvent in the paint and plastics industries and in the formulation of printer's inks, stamp pad inks, and ball-point pen inks. Ethylene glycol is a monomer used in the synthesis of safety explosives, resins, plasticizers, elastomers, synthetic fibers and synthetic waxes. Vapors of ethylene glycol are nonirritating to the eyes and throat; liquid ethylene glycol is irritating to eyes and skin.
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Common molecules
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Obtained courtesy of the Cambridge Structural Database
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