Glycerol · C3H8O3
Glycerol (C3H8O3) is a coolant; this page gives computed density, dynamic viscosity and specific heat capacity for aqueous solutions from 10–60 wt% and -30–40 °C.
Values are computed from CoolProp's incompressible aqueous-mixture correlation (Melinder, 2010) and tabulated over 10–60 wt% and -30–40 °C.
- Also known as
- Glycerine, Glycerin, Propane-1,2,3-triol, 1,2,3-Propanetriol
- CAS number
- 56-81-5
- Tabulated range
- 10–60 wt% · -30–40 °C
- Properties
- Density · Dynamic viscosity · Specific heat capacity · Specific gravity
- Density
- 1098.9kg/m³
- Density
- 1.0989g/cm³
- Specific gravity
- 1.101
- Viscosity
- 3.701cP
- Specific heat
- 3450J/kg·K
Read a value at any point
Move the sliders to interpolate between the tabulated grid points. The readout and chart never go outside the validated 10–60 wt% and -30–40 °C range, and every number is interpolated from the committed table below — nothing is computed from a chemistry model in your browser.
Values are interpolated between the tabulated grid points below — sliders stay within the validated 10–60 wt% and -30–40 °C range.
- Density
- 1085.5 kg/m³
- Density
- 1.0855 g/cm³
- Specific gravity
- 1.087
- Dynamic viscosity
- 2.993 cP
- Specific heat
- 3552 J/kg·K
What the numbers tell you
At 40 wt% and 20 °C, aqueous glycerol has a density of about 1099 kg/m³ (1.099 g/cm³) — roughly 1.10× the density of water. It also has a dynamic viscosity of about 3.701 cP, against roughly 1 cP for water at the same temperature, and a specific heat of about 3.45 kJ/kg·K, about 83% of water’s 4.18 kJ/kg·K. Those differences carry straight into volume-to-mass conversions, pump and pipe sizing, and the heat needed to change its temperature.
A few working strengths
Properties at 20 °C for a handful of concentrations in everyday use, read from the committed grid (interpolated between tabulated points where a grade falls between them). The full table follows below.
| wt% C3H8O3 | °C | Density kg/m³ | SG | Viscosity cP | Sp. heat J/kg·K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 20 | 1046.8 | 1.049 | 1.746 | 3844 |
| 40 | 20 | 1098.9 | 1.101 | 3.701 | 3450 |
| 50 | 20 | 1126.1 | 1.128 | 5.958 | 3247 |
| 60 | 20 | 1153.5 | 1.156 | 10.48 | 3058 |
How low it protects
Freezing point of the aqueous solution against strength, computed from the same correlation and checked against an independently cited value. A 60 wt% glycerol solution freezes at about −34.9 °C.
| wt% C3H8O3 | Freezing point °C |
|---|---|
| 10 | −2.3 |
| 15 | −3.8 |
| 20 | −5.6 |
| 25 | −7.5 |
| 30 | −9.8 |
| 35 | −12.3 |
| 40 | −15.3 |
| 45 | −18.9 |
| 50 | −23.2 |
| 55 | −28.4 |
| 60 | −34.9 |
Freeze check: 40 wt% computed −15.3 °C against a cited −15.5 °C (tolerance ±1.5 °C). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions, Glycerol table: 40.0 mass % glycerol at 20 degC, freezing point depression = 15.50 degC (freezing point about -15.5 degC). The CRC freezing-point-depression column agrees with the Melinder freeze curve underlying CoolProp's INCOMP::MGL to within 0.3 degC here.
Where the numbers come from
Every value on this page is computed by a deterministic model — none is entered by hand. The generating method and the references it is checked against:
- ▸Melinder, A. (2010). Properties of Secondary Working Fluids for Indirect Systems, 2nd ed. International Institute of Refrigeration - the basis of CoolProp's incompressible aqueous glycerol (INCOMP::MGL) correlation.
- ▸CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions (density, freezing-point depression and viscosity at 20 degC)
Model: CoolProp==6.6.0 - incompressible aqueous MGL correlation (Melinder 2010) · Generated 2026-06-07
The committed data file for this page is published as JSON on GitHub under CC BY 4.0.
Checked against a cited value
The model is cross-checked at one independently cited reference point. The page is published only because this check passes.
| Property / point | Density · 40 wt% · 20 °C |
| Cited reference value | 1098.4 kg/m3 |
| Model computed | 1098.89 kg/m3 |
| Error vs reference | 0.044% (tolerance 1%) |
CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Concentrative Properties of Aqueous Solutions (all data at 20 degC), Glycerol table: 40.0 mass % glycerol at 20 degC = 1.0984 g/cm3. This measured handbook data is independent of the Melinder correlation underlying CoolProp's INCOMP::MGL.
Every tabulated point
Rows are temperature (°C); columns are concentration (wt% C3H8O3). Read the cell at the intersection. Specific gravity is density divided by the model water reference of 998.2 kg/m³ at 20 °C.
Cells left blank (—) sit below the solution's freezing point at that strength, where it is no longer liquid; those points are not tabulated and the explorer will not interpolate across them.
| °C \ wt% | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1177.7 |
| -25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1160.8 | 1175.6 |
| -20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1143.6 | 1158.8 | 1173.4 |
| -15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1111.5 | 1126.7 | 1141.8 | 1156.6 | 1171.2 |
| -10 | — | — | — | — | — | 1095.4 | 1110.1 | 1124.9 | 1139.8 | 1154.4 | 1168.8 |
| -5 | — | — | 1052.1 | 1065.9 | 1079.9 | 1094.1 | 1108.5 | 1123.1 | 1137.7 | 1152.2 | 1166.4 |
| 0 | 1025.3 | 1038.3 | 1051.5 | 1065.0 | 1078.7 | 1092.7 | 1106.8 | 1121.1 | 1135.5 | 1149.8 | 1164.0 |
| 5 | 1024.8 | 1037.6 | 1050.6 | 1063.9 | 1077.4 | 1091.1 | 1105.0 | 1119.1 | 1133.2 | 1147.4 | 1161.4 |
| 10 | 1024.1 | 1036.7 | 1049.6 | 1062.6 | 1075.9 | 1089.4 | 1103.1 | 1116.9 | 1130.9 | 1144.9 | 1158.8 |
| 15 | 1023.2 | 1035.6 | 1048.3 | 1061.1 | 1074.2 | 1087.5 | 1101.0 | 1114.7 | 1128.5 | 1142.4 | 1156.2 |
| 20 | 1022.0 | 1034.3 | 1046.8 | 1059.5 | 1072.4 | 1085.5 | 1098.9 | 1112.4 | 1126.1 | 1139.8 | 1153.5 |
| 25 | 1020.7 | 1032.9 | 1045.2 | 1057.7 | 1070.5 | 1083.5 | 1096.7 | 1110.0 | 1123.6 | 1137.2 | 1150.8 |
| 30 | 1019.2 | 1031.3 | 1043.5 | 1055.9 | 1068.5 | 1081.3 | 1094.4 | 1107.6 | 1121.0 | 1134.5 | 1148.0 |
| 35 | 1017.6 | 1029.5 | 1041.6 | 1053.9 | 1066.4 | 1079.1 | 1092.0 | 1105.1 | 1118.4 | 1131.8 | 1145.2 |
| 40 | 1016.0 | 1027.7 | 1039.7 | 1051.8 | 1064.2 | 1076.8 | 1089.6 | 1102.6 | 1115.8 | 1129.1 | 1142.4 |
| °C \ wt% | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 277.32 |
| -25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 104.97 | 171.13 |
| -20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 46.85 | 69.54 | 110.15 |
| -15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17.64 | 23.67 | 32.89 | 47.82 | 73.73 |
| -10 | — | — | — | — | — | 10.16 | 13.13 | 17.42 | 23.87 | 34.04 | 51.19 |
| -5 | — | — | 4.198 | 5.080 | 6.255 | 7.851 | 10.06 | 13.21 | 17.85 | 25.02 | 36.75 |
| 0 | 2.447 | 2.863 | 3.390 | 4.078 | 4.990 | 6.221 | 7.911 | 10.29 | 13.72 | 18.92 | 27.20 |
| 5 | 2.043 | 2.376 | 2.797 | 3.346 | 4.070 | 5.042 | 6.364 | 8.199 | 10.81 | 14.69 | 20.71 |
| 10 | 1.736 | 2.009 | 2.353 | 2.799 | 3.386 | 4.169 | 5.225 | 6.674 | 8.708 | 11.66 | 16.16 |
| 15 | 1.498 | 1.726 | 2.012 | 2.382 | 2.866 | 3.507 | 4.366 | 5.531 | 7.146 | 9.453 | 12.89 |
| 20 | 1.311 | 1.505 | 1.746 | 2.056 | 2.461 | 2.993 | 3.701 | 4.653 | 5.958 | 7.795 | 10.48 |
| 25 | 1.160 | 1.328 | 1.534 | 1.797 | 2.138 | 2.585 | 3.176 | 3.964 | 5.033 | 6.521 | 8.669 |
| 30 | 1.037 | 1.183 | 1.361 | 1.585 | 1.875 | 2.253 | 2.749 | 3.408 | 4.295 | 5.518 | 7.264 |
| 35 | 0.935 | 1.062 | 1.216 | 1.408 | 1.655 | 1.976 | 2.396 | 2.950 | 3.693 | 4.711 | 6.152 |
| 40 | 0.847 | 0.959 | 1.092 | 1.257 | 1.467 | 1.739 | 2.095 | 2.563 | 3.189 | 4.044 | 5.252 |
| °C \ wt% | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2684 |
| -25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2840 | 2720 |
| -20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3001 | 2873 | 2757 |
| -15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3294 | 3161 | 3030 | 2907 | 2794 |
| -10 | — | — | — | — | — | 3445 | 3316 | 3187 | 3061 | 2941 | 2831 |
| -5 | — | — | 3811 | 3701 | 3585 | 3463 | 3338 | 3213 | 3091 | 2975 | 2869 |
| 0 | 4013 | 3920 | 3819 | 3712 | 3599 | 3481 | 3360 | 3240 | 3122 | 3010 | 2906 |
| 5 | 4017 | 3925 | 3827 | 3723 | 3613 | 3499 | 3383 | 3266 | 3153 | 3045 | 2944 |
| 10 | 4019 | 3928 | 3833 | 3732 | 3626 | 3517 | 3405 | 3293 | 3184 | 3080 | 2982 |
| 15 | 4019 | 3931 | 3839 | 3741 | 3640 | 3534 | 3427 | 3320 | 3215 | 3115 | 3020 |
| 20 | 4018 | 3933 | 3844 | 3751 | 3653 | 3552 | 3450 | 3347 | 3247 | 3150 | 3058 |
| 25 | 4018 | 3935 | 3850 | 3760 | 3666 | 3570 | 3472 | 3374 | 3278 | 3185 | 3096 |
| 30 | 4018 | 3938 | 3856 | 3769 | 3680 | 3588 | 3494 | 3401 | 3309 | 3219 | 3133 |
| 35 | 4019 | 3942 | 3862 | 3780 | 3694 | 3606 | 3517 | 3427 | 3339 | 3253 | 3170 |
| 40 | 4022 | 3947 | 3870 | 3791 | 3708 | 3624 | 3539 | 3454 | 3370 | 3287 | 3207 |
Glycerol solution properties at 25 °C
At 25 °C, 20 wt% glycerol has a density of about 1045.2 kg/m³, a dynamic viscosity of about 1.534 cP and a specific heat capacity of about 3850 J/kg·K. At 25 °C, 50 wt% glycerol has a density of about 1123.6 kg/m³, a dynamic viscosity of about 5.033 cP and a specific heat capacity of about 3278 J/kg·K. At 25 °C, 60 wt% glycerol has a density of about 1150.8 kg/m³, a dynamic viscosity of about 8.669 cP and a specific heat capacity of about 3096 J/kg·K.
Before you use these numbers
- ▸CoolProp's incompressible aqueous glycerol correlation (INCOMP::MGL), built on Melinder (2010). Tabulated for 10-60 wt% glycerol over -30 to 40 degC. Glycerol is a non-toxic, food- and pharma-grade non-electrolyte coolant, so it is modelled with CoolProp rather than the Laliberte electrolyte correlation; it is markedly more viscous than the glycols at the same strength, which matters for pump and pressure-drop work. Each cell sits above the solution's freezing line; cells below it are left blank and the explorer will not interpolate across them. Values are for preliminary design; verify against vendor data for critical service.
- ▸Values are tabulated only inside the 10–60 wt% and -30–40 °C ranges shown; the correlation is not extrapolated beyond them here.
- ▸Figures are for a pure glycerol–water system. Commercial grades contain impurities (for example chloride in some caustic grades) that shift density and viscosity; check the supplier's data sheet for a specific product.
- ▸Use for preliminary design; verify for critical service.
- Acetic acid CH3COOH
- Aluminium sulfate Al2(SO4)3
- Ammonia solution NH3
- Ammonium chloride NH4Cl
- Ammonium nitrate NH4NO3
- Ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4
- Barium chloride BaCl2
- Calcium chloride CaCl2
- Calcium nitrate Ca(NO3)2
- Copper(II) sulfate CuSO4
- Ethanol C2H5OH
- Ethylene glycol C2H6O2
- Formic acid HCOOH
- Hydrochloric acid HCl
- Hydrogen peroxide H2O2
- Iron(II) sulfate FeSO4
- Iron(III) chloride FeCl3
- Lithium chloride LiCl
- Magnesium chloride MgCl2
- Magnesium sulfate MgSO4
- Manganese(II) sulfate MnSO4
- Methanol CH3OH
- Nickel sulfate NiSO4
- Nitric acid HNO3
- Phosphoric acid H3PO4
- Potassium carbonate K2CO3
- Potassium chloride KCl
- Potassium hydroxide KOH
- Potassium nitrate KNO3
- Propylene glycol C3H8O2
- Sodium acetate CH3COONa
- Sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3
- Sodium carbonate Na2CO3
- Sodium chloride NaCl
- Sodium hydroxide NaOH
- Sodium nitrate NaNO3
- Sodium sulfate Na2SO4
- Sucrose C12H22O11
- Sulfuric acid H2SO4
- Zinc chloride ZnCl2
- Zinc sulfate ZnSO4
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