Glycine

Product Overview

Glycine (CAS No. 56‑40‑6), also known as aminoacetic acid, is the simplest α‑amino acid and a non‑essential amino acid for human beings. Chemosynthesis is the dominant industrial production method, supplemented by biological fermentation as an alternative process. It appears as white crystalline powder or colourless monoclinic crystals, odourless with a slight sweet taste. It has excellent water‑solubility: soluble in water, slightly soluble in ethanol, and practically insoluble in organic solvents such as acetone and ether.

With both acidic carboxyl groups and basic amino groups in its molecular structure, glycine exhibits outstanding acid‑base buffering capacity, together with favourable chelating, antioxidant, moisturising and penetration‑promoting properties. Featuring good biocompatibility, non‑toxicity and ready biological absorption and metabolism, glycine is chemically stable at ambient temperature and resistant to deliquescence and deterioration. It is widely applied in food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, feed, biochemical research and other fields, and ranks among the most universally‑used and well‑established basic amino‑acid monomers worldwide.

Basic Parameters

Production Process

In China, chloroacetic acid ammonolysis, combined with multi‑stage sophisticated purification technologies, serves as the mainstream manufacturing route for industrial‑grade, feed‑grade and food‑grade glycine. This well‑established standardized mass‑production process features mild reaction conditions, high conversion rate, few by‑products, high finished‑product purity and minimal batch‑to‑batch variation. Environment‑friendly, it meets regulatory production requirements for all product grades.

Raw Material Proportioning and Synthetic Reaction: Core raw materials chloroacetic acid and ammonia water are fed into reactors in precisely calibrated ratios. Ammonolysis proceeds under controlled constant‑temperature and atmospheric‑pressure conditions. Temperature, pH value and reaction duration are closely controlled to maximize conversion and minimize by‑salts and impurities, yielding crude glycine feed liquor.

Impurity Removal, Decolorization and Refinement: Upon reaction completion, the feed liquor is preliminarily filtered to remove insoluble residues. Activated‑carbon adsorption decolorization and ion‑exchange desalting are subsequently performed to thoroughly eliminate residual raw materials, inorganic salts, pigments and trace organic impurities, producing high‑purity transparent feed liquor.

Concentration, Crystallization and Centrifugal Separation: The refined liquor is concentrated under vacuum at low temperature to raise solid content. High‑purity glycine crystals precipitate via gradient‑controlled cooling crystallization. High‑speed centrifugation removes mother liquor and residual salts to obtain high‑purity crystalline semi‑finished products.

Low‑Temperature Drying and Fine Sieving: Crystalline materials are dried with low‑temperature hot air to remove free moisture and avoid thermal degradation. Multi‑stage fine sieving finally yields finished glycine powders of different mesh sizes and purity grades.

This synthetic route offers high reaction selectivity, stable operation and extremely low by‑product generation. The whole process adopts standardized closed‑loop production, stably delivering multi‑grade glycine (industrial, feed, food and pharmaceutical grades) with high quality consistency that satisfies stringent high‑end compliance standards across multiple industries.

Quality Standards

Commercial glycine is categorized by purity into industrial‑grade, feed‑grade, food‑grade and pharmaceutical‑grade, each complying with corresponding national and industrial specifications. Food‑grade glycine strictly follows GB 1886.297‑2018 National Food Safety Standard: Food Additive‑Glycine. Meanwhile, products conform to internationally‑recognized standards including FCC, USP and EU specifications to support domestic sales and cross‑border export compliance.

Core internal‑control specifications for premium‑grade products: glycine content ≥ 99.0 %; pure‑white crystalline powder free of foreign crystals, caking and off‑odors; stringent limits on moisture, ignition residue, heavy metals, arsenic salts, ammonium salts, chlorides and other trace impurities; clear and transparent 5 % aqueous solution without turbidity or sediment; good powder flowability, suitable for demanding high‑precision applications in food, pharmaceuticals and biochemical reagents.

Industrial Advantages of China

China is a core global base for glycine production, consumption and export. Benefiting from a complete fine‑chemical industrial cluster, mature supporting raw‑material systems and large‑scale mass‑production capacity, China consistently ranks first worldwide in production capacity, output and export volume, holding major global market share and core competitiveness in basic amino‑acid sectors.

Leading Large‑Scale Production Capacity: Glycine manufacturers are geographically concentrated in China, fully equipped with large‑scale integrated synthesis facilities. The industry enjoys high concentration and stable operation load, with production capacity far exceeding overseas regions. Large‑volume supplies of all glycine grades are available on a regular basis, supporting stable delivery for long‑term contracts and bulk foreign‑trade orders with world‑leading supply reliability.

Sound Cost and Supply‑Chain Advantages: Domestic supporting industries for key auxiliary materials such as chloroacetic acid, high‑purity ammonia water, activated carbon and purified water are well‑developed with adequate, stable‑priced raw‑material supplies independent of imports. Integrated synthesis, centralized refinement and large‑scale production reduce costs for raw materials, energy consumption, operation‑maintenance and labor, delivering outstanding overall cost‑performance and core pricing influence in global markets.

Advanced and Mature Process Technology: China has widely adopted next‑generation high‑yield, low‑by‑product ammonolysis synthesis technologies, coupled with ion‑exchange desalting, low‑precision crystallization and aseptic drying‑purification processes. These technologies resolve traditional drawbacks including insufficient purity, excessive impurities and unstable color. Purity, appearance, stability and batch consistency of domestic products fully match top‑tier international benchmarks, enabling complete substitution for imported goods.

Closed‑Loop Whole‑Industrial‑Chain Support: China has built a full closed‑loop system covering raw‑material supply, chemical synthesis, fine purification, graded sieving, aseptic packaging, quality inspection & certification, warehousing‑logistics and cross‑border trade, achieving 100 % domestic self‑sufficiency. Independent of overseas technologies and raw materials, the industry satisfies both high‑end domestic market demand and large‑volume global export requirements.

Multi‑System Global Compliance: Chinese glycine complies with Chinese GB national standards, US FCC requirements, EU food‑access regulations, USP pharmaceutical standards and other international norms with complete qualification documentation and rigorous quality‑inspection systems. Clearly‑graded and diversified product portfolios meet import compliance requirements for food, pharmaceutical, feed and biochemical‑research applications in most countries worldwide, featuring strong adaptability for cross‑border trade.

Upstream and Downstream Industrial Chain

As a basic amino‑acid monomer synthesized via fine‑chemical processes, glycine possesses a clear, closed industrial chain. Its upstream covers fine‑chemical raw materials and purification auxiliaries, while downstream extends to end‑use sectors including food, pharmaceuticals, feed, personal‑care, biochemical research and fine‑chemical synthesis.

Upstream raw materials: chloroacetic acid, industrial‑grade ammonia water, high‑purity ammonia water, activated carbon, ion‑exchange resins, purified water, crystallization auxiliaries

Downstream application fields: food additives, pharmaceutical intermediates and pharmaceutical excipients, feed nutritional fortifiers, moisturizing & chelating raw materials for personal‑care products, biological buffer reagents, fine‑chemical synthesis intermediates

Safety, Storage and Transportation

Glycine is a high‑safety fine‑chemical raw material and food additive. It is non‑toxic, non‑corrosive, non‑flammable, non‑explosive and non‑irritating, and is not classified as hazardous chemical; hence special hazardous‑chemical regulatory controls do not apply. It may be stored and transported as ordinary general cargo.

Storage Requirements: Store in dry, cool, well‑ventilated and dedicated clean warehouses. Keep away from high temperature, humidity and direct sunlight to prevent moisture‑induced caking and deterioration. Keep containers tightly sealed. Store separately in partitioned zones away from odorous, corrosive and oxidizing materials. Maintain clean and dry storage conditions to avoid cross‑contamination.

Transportation Requirements: Follow transportation standards for general chemical goods and food‑grade auxiliary materials. Protect goods against rain, moisture, direct sunlight and packaging damage during transit to ensure intact and sealed packages. Do not ship together with toxic, odorous, corrosive or strongly oxidizing cargoes to prevent product contamination and deterioration.

Safety Profile: Glycine exhibits excellent biosafety with no skin or eye irritation and no toxic side effects. It is well‑tolerated by humans and organisms. Qualified glycine comports with domestic and international safety specifications, presenting no safety risks during standardized storage, handling and usage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What are the major production regions and manufacturer strengths for glycine in China?
A: Major glycine production capacities in China are concentrated in fine‑chemical industrial clusters in Shandong, Jiangsu, Hebei and other provinces. Leading manufacturers operate large‑scale automated production facilities with advanced synthesis processes, sophisticated purification technologies and standardized quality‑control systems. Products deliver reliable batch consistency, high purity and favorable appearance. Manufacturers hold complete certifications and extensive export experience, capable of stable large‑volume long‑term supply as core global glycine suppliers.

Q: What constitutes the main cost components of glycine?
A: Total production costs of glycine fall into four major categories: first, raw‑material costs, dominated by key chemical feedstocks including chloroacetic acid and high‑purity ammonia water; second, energy consumption across synthesis reaction, vacuum concentration, precision crystallization, low‑temperature drying and powder sieving; third, auxiliary‑material and equipment operation‑maintenance expenses for decolorization, desalting purification and routine line maintenance; fourth, finished‑product testing, clean‑warehousing and bulk‑logistics costs. Supported by China's complete closed‑loop fine‑chemical industrial chain, glycine enjoys prominent comprehensive cost advantages.

Q: What are the differences among glycine grades of varying purity and what are the selection criteria?
A: Four mainstream grades are available: industrial‑grade, feed‑grade, food‑grade and pharmaceutical‑grade. Principal distinctions lie in main‑component purity, impurity limits and production cleanliness standards. Industrial‑grade glycine of moderate purity is applied in fine‑chemical synthesis and industrial chelating treatment. Feed‑grade glycine with compliant impurity limits is dedicated to animal nutrition fortification. Food‑grade glycine (≥ 99.0 % main content) features strict restrictions on heavy metals and harmful impurities for food‑formula incorporation. Pharmaceutical‑grade glycine undergoes the most rigorous purification with sterility and minimal impurities for pharmaceutical excipients, biochemical reagents and high‑end biological research. Select grades according to application scenarios, compliance requirements and impurity‑control objectives during procurement.