What is formic acid?

The discovery process of formic acid

Formic acid is an important chemical raw material first discovered by Fisher in 1670.

A.S.Marggret was the first to make pure formic acid in 1749. Because of the earliest distillation of red ants and found, named formic acid. Formic acid is widely found in nature, such as in the secretions of red ants, bees, caterpillars, etc., in the leaves and roots of plants, and in fruits. The simplest carboxylic acids have a special structure and are more acidic than other fatty carboxylic acids. It is a colorless and transparent smoky liquid with an exciting smell, and its molecular formula is HCOOH. Molecular mass 46.03. Relative density 1.2196. The melting temperature of 8.4 ℃. Freezing point 7℃. Boiling point 100.7℃, 50℃(15.999×103Pa). Refractive index 1.3714. Flash point 68.9 ℃. Viscosity of 1.784 mPa, s. Ignition point 410 ℃. Intersoluble with water, ethanol, ether, etc. And water to form a high boiling point binary azeotrope, containing 77.5% of the product, the boiling point of 107.3℃, this boiling point is higher than the boiling point of pure water and pure formic acid. The carbonyl group of this product is directly connected with hydrogen, so that formic acid has both the properties of an acid and some properties of an aldehyde. Can form salt, ester; It can react with amines to form amides; It is added with unsaturated hydrocarbon to form ester. Its reducibility reflects the properties of aldehydes, such as reducing the ammonia solution of silver nitrate (Toulon reagent) to metallic silver, reducing potassium permanganate to decolorization, reducing sulfur dioxide to thiosulfate ion (SO2→S2O32-), reducing mercury nitrate to mercury, etc. Formic acid reacts with concentrated sulfuric acid to dehydrate to produce carbon monoxide. Heating to 160℃ can also decarboxylation, the generation of carbon dioxide and hydrogen; Under the catalytic action of copper - chromium, platinum, palladium, can also produce decomposition reaction, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. This product is very irritating and corrosive, inhalation of its vapor, can cause respiratory organs to be stimulated, and inflammation; Stick to the skin, can make the skin blister. Chronic poisoning, production。

Application areas of formic acid

Formic acid is widely used in pesticide, leather, dyestuff, medicine and rubber industries. It can produce leather softener, rubber coagulant, mordant for printing and dyeing, disinfectant, preservative, dyeing agent and treatment agent for fiber and paper, plasticizer and animal feed additive. Printing and dyeing auxiliaries, used in the mordant dyeing process, improve the utilization rate of dyes; Used for cotton fabric washing to make fabric soft. Leather industry used for depilation, deashing washing, leather to prevent mildew. Adding a small amount of formic acid to feed fermentation can prevent mildew. Cement coagulant. Aluminium formate is an excellent Chemicalbook waterproofing agent. A coagulant for rubber slurry. Butyl formate and amyl ester are varnish solvents. Organic synthetic and pharmaceutical raw materials, can be used to make formates, formates, many formates are spices. Formic acid can be used to make various solvents, such as dimethyl formamide, a solvent with a variety of uses. European countries in 1896 using sodium hydroxide and carbon monoxide direct reaction to produce sodium formate, acid hydrolysis to formic acid, and put into industrial production. In 1980, American Scientific Design Company successfully developed methanol carbonylation to produce formic acid, with an annual output of 20,000 tons.

We have rich experience in the export of formic acid, and have established good cooperative relations with suppliers, such as Luxi Chemical, Shijiazhuang Taihe, Hebei Pengfa Chemical, etc. We are looking forward to cooperating with interested customers.