Glycine
CAS 56-40-6 C2H5NO2
- CAS number
- 56-40-6
- EC number
- 200-272-2
- Formula
- C2H5NO2
- Molar mass
- 75.07 g/mol
- HS code
- 2922.49
Supply of Glycine
- Grades
- Technical grade for herbicide and chelate manufacture, feed grade, food grade (FCC / E640) and pharmacopoeial grades (USP / EP / JP), differing mainly in assay and in the limits on chloride, sulfate, ammonium and heavy metals.
- Packaging
- 25 kg multi-wall paper bags with PE liner · 25 kg fibre drums (pharma grade) · 500–1000 kg big bags (technical grade)
- Documents
- CoA, SDS and TDS on request; certificate of origin where the destination requires it.
- Delivery
- Worldwide, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and the rest of the EU, the United Arab Emirates, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Quoted EXW, FOB, CIF or DAP.
Glycine is the simplest amino acid. It has a mildly sweet taste and is used in food to round off flavours, in medicines and intravenous solutions, and in animal feed. Industrial grades are used to make herbicides, and glycine is also what binds minerals such as magnesium, iron and zinc in the glycinate forms sold as supplements.
Technical details
Glycine is the simplest amino acid: its side chain is a single hydrogen atom, which makes it the only proteinogenic amino acid without a chiral centre. Unlike most amino acids it is made by chemical synthesis rather than fermentation, and the grades differ in how far the crystal is purified, not in how it was made. Its largest single outlet is technical grade for herbicide manufacture; purified grades go into food, pharmaceutical buffers and infusions, feed, and the mineral bisglycinates, where two glycine molecules hold a metal ion between them. Ehlinar supplies technical, feed, food and pharmacopoeial grades.
Appearance: White crystalline powder, odourless, with a mildly sweet taste; freely soluble in water, very slightly soluble in ethanol.
Applications
How we supply
- Certificate of Analysis (CoA), lot-specific where available
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS / MSDS)
- Technical Data Sheet (TDS)
- Certificate of Origin / Certificate of Conformity
Independent third-party inspection can be arranged on request, with the agency and scope agreed per trade. Representative samples can be requested for qualification, subject to supplier availability. We recommend incoming quality control against the agreed CoA.
Quoted on standard Incoterms (e.g. EXW, FOB, CIF, DAP) as agreed per trade. Delivery region, packaging and grade are confirmed per quote.
Documents and services above are subject to supplier availability and confirmed per quote; nothing here is an offer.
Typical / indicative values — not a binding specification
| Property | Typical |
|---|---|
| Assay (USP / EP) | ~98.5–101.5% |
| Water solubility | ~250 g/L at 25 °C |
| Melting point | Decomposes around 230–240 °C |
Also known as
Aminoacetic acid · Glycocoll · Gly · E640 · 2-Aminoacetic acid
Frequently asked questions
- Is glycine made by fermentation?
- Usually not. Commercial glycine is made by chemical synthesis, most often by reacting chloroacetic acid with ammonia, or by the Strecker route. Because glycine has no chiral centre there is no L- or D- form to control, and synthesis gives the same molecule fermentation would.
- What separates technical, food and pharma grade?
- Assay and impurity limits. Technical grade is specified for herbicide and chelate manufacture; food grade meets FCC or the E640 specification; pharma grade meets USP or EP, with tighter limits on chloride, sulfate, ammonium, iron and heavy metals, and the documentation a regulated buyer needs.
- Why is glycine the ligand in mineral chelates?
- It is the smallest amino acid, and it binds a metal through both its amino nitrogen and its carboxylate oxygen, closing a stable five-membered ring. Two glycines per metal ion give the bisglycinates used for magnesium, iron, zinc and calcium in supplements and fortified foods.
- Is glycine kosher, halal or vegan?
- It is synthetic and non-animal, and commonly certified kosher and halal. Ask for the certificate against the specific grade and lot.
- How is glycine stored?
- Cool, dry and sealed. It is stable, but it cakes if it picks up moisture.
Enquire about Glycine
Related products
Figures and identifiers here are compiled from public references and provided for general information; they are indicative, not a specification. See all products.