The occurrence of trimethylene glycol as a by-product in the glycerol manufacture

During the past winter our attention was called to an unusual difficulty experienced by one of the soap-making firms in the neighborhood of Boston in obtaining their glycerol of the required commercial gravity. The information furnished in regard to it indicated the presence in the glycerol of some uncommon impurity, and a considerable quantity of the "light stuff" having been generously placed at our disposal by the soap company, we were enabled to investigate it. It was submitted to fractional distillation, first at diminished and then at ordinary pressure, and a liquid boiling between 214° and 217° at 760 mill. pressure was thus separated from it.