- 1. What is oxalic acid?
Oxalic acid is a relatively strong organic acid it has the general formula C2H2O4. It is a white, water-soluble solid widely applied in many areas of life
The organic oxalic acid chemicals with reducing properties should be widely used for bleaching, rust removal, bleaching some types of stains.
Molecular structure of oxalic acid chemicals
- 2. Outstanding physical and chemical properties of oxalic acid
2.1. What are the physical properties of oxalic acid?
- Exists as white or ivory-white granules.
- Oxalic acid is a water-soluble substance that creates a colorless solution and has a sour taste similar to table vinegar.
- As a dicarboxylic acid, with the HOOC-COOH implementation formula
2.2. Chemical Properties of Oxalic Acid
- Its anion is a reducing agent.
- It is a relatively strong organic acid that fully exhibits the properties of an acid.
- In addition, it participates in many of the chemical reactions characteristic of other caboxylic acids.
- Capable of working with some strong metals such as calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium and potassium in the body to form crystals of oxalate salts respectively.
- 3. How to prepare, produce Oxalic Acid?
- It can be done in the laboratory by oxidizing sucrose with nitric acid as the oxidizer and a small amount of vanadj (V) oxide as the catalyst.
- On a larger scale, sodium oxalate can be prepared by exposing hot sodium hydroxide to carbon monoxide under high pressure.
- 4. Chemicals What important applications does oxalic acid have?
- Oxalic acid is used in the pharmaceutical industry for acheonycin and other organic derivatives.
- Electrical industry: Oxalic acid has the role of cleaning scale from electrical equipment thanks to its acidity.
- Metallurgical industry: used in precipitation and separation of rare earth metals
- Used as a component of some detergents such as some detergents or in rusting: cif, sunlight...
Oxalic acid is an ingredient in detergent solutions.
- Used to restore furniture that has worn out over time due to its corrosive properties that it blows away old wood on the surface to reveal new wood surfaces.
- Light industry: This is one of the substances that have a color splicing effect, helping the color adhere more firmly to the fabric fiber in dyeing technology.
- In its evaporated form, it is used by some honey beekeepers as an insecticide to eradicate the parasitic Varroa destructor.
- 5. How safe to use, store Oxalic Acid?
- Oxalic acid can be reduced in the process of food processing: when soaking vegetables, boil boiled water like bamboo shoots...
- This is a toxic substance, so it should be noted when using this chemical. At high doses, it has the potential to cause acute poisoning, which can lead to death with a content of about 4-5g.
- If used in excess, it will combine with calcium to create solids, they accumulate for a long time to form kidney stones, gallstones.
