Product Description

Formic acid (systematically called methanoic acid) is the simplest carboxylic acid, but can also be viewed as an aldehyde. Its formula is HCOOH or HCO2H. It is an important intermediate in chemical synthesis and occurs naturally, most notably in the venom of bee and ant stings. In fact, its name comes from the Latin word for ant, formica, referring to its early isolation by the distillation of ant bodies. An ester or salt derived from formic acid is referred to as formate. Properties: Formic acid is miscible with water and most polar organic solvents, and somewhat soluble in hydrocarbons. In hydrocarbons and in the vapor phase it consists of hydrogen-bonded dimers rather than individual molecules. [1][2] Owing to its tendency to hydrogen-bond, gaseous formic acid does not obey the ideal gas law. [2] Solid formic acid (two polymorphs) consists of an effectively endless network of hydrogen-bonded formic acid molecules. This relatively complicated compound also forms a low-boiling azeotrope with water (22.4%) and liquid formic acid also tends to supercool. Reaction: Formic acid shares most of the chemical properties of other carboxylic acids. Reflecting its high acidity, its solutions in alcohols form esters spontaneously. Formic acid shares some of the reducing properties of aldehydes, reducing solutions of gold, silver, and platinum to the metals. Uses: The principal use of formic acid is as a preservative and antibacterial agent in livestock feed. When sprayed on fresh hay or other silage, it arrests certain decay processes and causes the feed to retain its nutritive value longer, and so it is widely used to preserve winter feed for cattle. In the poultry industry, it is sometimes added to feed to kill salmonella bacteria.