What are polyols?

Polyols are compounds with multiple functional hydroxyl groups bound to atom carbon. They are alcohols and are primarily used by two industries, food and chemistry, depending on their composition. These compounds can be naturally or artificially made and one source of natural polyols is vegetable oil. Polyols derived in this way are known as Polyols of Natural Oil (NOP) and are classified as biobased products in the United States. This means that much of their structure consists of natural and renewable parts. They are known as sugar alcohols, and although they have alcohol structure, they mimic the sweetness of sugar when they add to food. Sugar alcohols have a lower number of calories than real sugar and are often used in foods and drinks without sugar or food. These polyols are also less sweet than naturally occurring sugar, and a strong artificial sweater is generally added to compounds that contain sugar alcohols.

One product that almost always contains sugar alcohols chews rubber. They are added to the rubber because they are not divided into saliva or chewing actions and therefore do not cause tooth decay. Some of the most common sugar alcohols are maltitol, sorbitol and xylitol. All these have different sweets. Sorbital is 60% as sweet as real glucose, while maltitol speed 75% and xylitol corresponds to the level of natural sugar sweetness. In the United States and Canada, products that are marked as without sugar must.

Sugar alcohols are not completely absorbed by the body, which is part of the reason why they have a lower caloric impact. Finally, they are excreted, but it is possible to have the accumulation of these polyols in the intestines that cause fermentation. This can cause pain and bloating. The term sugar alcohol can also be misleading because although these compounds have a alcohol structure, they cannot produce the state of intoxication.

Polymer chemistry is another area in which polyols are often used. Multiple hydroxyl groups contained in the compound are used for organic reactions - most often as reactants to create polymers. These polymers are then used to create objects such as shoes, spandex fabrics, mattresses and foam insulation for refrigerators and freezers. NOP is also used to create commercial substances, especially polyurethane products such as car seats and head heads.