Can glycerin be used in bending wood?

Yes. I use a turkey fryer pot 3/4 full of water and 500 ml glycerine. Bring to a boil then back off heat to maintain steam. I direct steam through a homemade steam box made of 2" PVC pipe. Steam for 2 hours per 1" thickness of wood. This method works well for kiln dried wood. You need NOT use glycerine if wood is green when bending but steam for same amount of time.