What is "glycerolysis"

n. (context organic chemistry English) Any reaction of an ester with glycerol, but especially the reaction of triglycerides with glycerol to form monoglycerides and diglycerides

In organic chemistry glycerolysis (a portmanteau of glycerol and -lysis. meaning "loosening, dissolving, dissolution," from Greek lysis) is the process of breaking chemical bonds via a reaction with glycerin. The term refers almost exclusively to the transesterification reaction of glycine with triglycerides to form mixtures of monoglycerides and diglycerides. These find a variety of uses as emulsifiers (e,g, E471) and surfactants (e.g. Monolaurin).

The transesterification process gives a complex mixture of products, however not all of these are of equivalent use. This has led to the development of optimized processes able to produce better defined products; in particular by using enzymes, reactions in supercritical carbon dioxide and flow chemistry. The production of diglycerides (often called diacylglycerols or DAGs) been investigated extensively due to their health benefits; with total annual sales of approximately USD 200 million in Japan since its introduction in the late 1990s till 2009.