Editing Ethylene glycol (section)

===Other uses===
====Dehydrating agent====
Ethylene glycol is used in the natural gas industry to remove water vapor from natural gas before further processing, in much the same manner as [[triethylene glycol]] (TEG).

====Hydrate inhibition====
Because of its high boiling point and affinity for water, ethylene glycol is a useful [[desiccant]]. Ethylene glycol is widely used to inhibit the formation of [[Methane clathrate|natural gas clathrates]] (hydrates) in long multiphase pipelines that convey natural gas from remote gas fields to a gas processing facility. Ethylene glycol can be recovered from the natural gas and reused as an inhibitor after purification treatment that removes water and inorganic salts.

Natural gas is dehydrated by ethylene glycol. In this application, ethylene glycol flows down from the top of a tower and meets a rising mixture of water vapor and [[hydrocarbon]] gases. Dry gas exits from the top of the tower. The glycol and water are separated, and the glycol recycled. Instead of removing water, ethylene glycol can also be used to depress the temperature at which [[hydrate]]s are formed. The purity of glycol used for hydrate suppression (monoethylene glycol) is typically around 80%, whereas the purity of glycol used for dehydration (triethylene glycol) is typically 95 to more than 99%. Moreover, the injection rate for hydrate suppression is much lower than the circulation rate in a [[glycol dehydration]] tower.

====Precursor to other chemicals====
Minor uses of ethylene glycol include the manufacture of capacitors, as a chemical intermediate in the manufacture of [[1,4-Dioxane|1,4-dioxane]], as an additive to prevent [[corrosion]] in liquid cooling systems for [[personal computer]]s, and inside the lens devices of cathode-ray tube type of rear projection televisions. Ethylene glycol is also used in the manufacture of some [[vaccine]]s, but it is not itself present in these injections. It is used as a minor (1–2%) ingredient in [[shoe polish]] and also in some inks and dyes. Ethylene glycol has seen some use as a rot and fungal treatment for wood, both as a preventative and a treatment after the fact. It has been used in a few cases to treat partially rotted wooden objects to be displayed in museums. It is one of only a few treatments that are successful in dealing with rot in wooden boats, and is relatively cheap. Ethylene glycol may also be one of the minor ingredients in screen cleaning solutions, along with the main ingredient [[isopropyl alcohol]]. Ethylene glycol is commonly used as a [[preservative]] for biological specimens, especially in secondary schools during [[dissection]] as a safer alternative to [[formaldehyde]]. It is also used as part of the water-based hydraulic fluid used to control subsea oil and gas production equipment.