Formic Acid is quite a beneficial organic compound which is readily made by wood ants in nature. Formic Acid is now being used in the field of medicine, chemical industries as well as leather industry.
What is formic acid?
Formic Acid is also known as methanoic acid, this acid is readily present in the ant stings and also in the venom of bee. It has a very unique pungent smell which is some what penetrating in nature. It is colorless and is miscible in water as well as in most polar organic solvents. The chemical formula of formic acid is HCO2H or HCOOH. Other names of this acid are Oxomethanol, Oxocarbinic acid, Metacarbonoic acid, Hydroxy(oxo)methane, Hydroxymethanone, Hydrogen carboxylic acid, Formylic acid and Aminic acid. Formic acid also protects the bees from mites known as Varroa mites.
Uses of Formic Acid
There are lots of uses of Formic Acid; some of the uses of this amazing acid are as follows
1.This acid can be used as a preservative as well as an antibacterial agent
2.Formic Acid can be used as a promoter of fermentation process of lactic acid
3.This acid is readily used in the leather industry for tanning process and even in dying and finishing.
4.It is an essential ingredient in cleaning products that are available in the market today.
The use of formic acid is very vast and it changes according to the industry, but nevertheless it should be handled with a lot of care as it causes irritation of eyes, nose etc.
Essential information about formic acid
Nowadays it is possible to make formic acid from carbon monoxide. This acid can be stored in either solid or liquid form depending on the usage. As it is widely used in leather industry, it is usually stored in huge tanks they are also used in preservation of grass better known as silage in order to feed livestock. This acid also helps in preventing the intestinal disease of animals. Formic Acid can also be substituted in place of chemical which are harsher and more life threatening for example, it can replace sulfite in the paper industry.
Hazard related to formic acid
There are lots of hazards that are related to the misuse or mishandling of formic acid some of them are as follows:
•This acid is very harsh on skin and eyes, it can permanently damage eyes if directly contacted
•It can damage optic nerve as it has metabolites of methanol
•It can damage kidneys due to chronic exposure, and also develop different types of skin allergies
•This acid should only be stored in plastic bottles with self venting caps
Laboratory use:
Formic acid is quite a useful compound and it is widely used in laboratory for synthesizing and formylation purposes. It can also be used in hydrogenation as it is a great source of hydrogen. Formic acid is very useful as it can be used for decomposition, addition of alkenes and in various other reactions in order to make other compounds or in their synthesis. Hence it is very useful organic compound but it should be handled with lot of care as it can cause severe damage to the human body. There are lots of related websites that provide valuable information regarding formic acid, and all one requires to do is to visit these websites. So one can visit these websites and find out the use of formic acid as per his need and requirement and get the in depth knowledge of this awesome acid. But one should never forget that this acid need to be handled with a lot of care and in case of any human contact or irritation, immediately contact nearest hospital for medical aid.