Formic Acid: Overview, Questions, Preparation

Formic acid or Aminic Acid is a colourless, fuming liquid with a pungent acrid odour with the chemical formula HCOOH. Formic acid has a single carbon. We are using it as a preservative and antibacterial agent in livestock feed. Formic acid induces severe metabolic acidosis and ocular injury in humans. Formic acid or aminic acid at low temperature and in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells is one of the most promising modern fuel sources. Formic acid is commonly referred to as Methanoic acid, Formylic acid, Aminic acid, and Hydrogen carboxylic acid.

Formic acid has a density of 1.22 g/cm³ with a molecular weight of 46.03 g/mol. Formic acid has Melting Point 8.4 °C and boiling point 100.8 °C with Empirical Chemical Formula, CH2O2.

Formic acid converts mercuric chloride into a white precipitate that forms mercuric chloride.

Below is the chemical equation:

HCOOH + 2HgCl2 → Hg2Cl2 + 2HCl + CO2

Formic acid responds to phosphoric pentachloride, forming formyl chloride, hydrogen chloride and phosphoryl chloride.

HCOOH + PCl5 → HCOCl + POCl3 + HCl

The vital use of formic acid is like a preservative and antibacterial agent in animal feed. In the poultry industry, formic acid is the mix to kill salmonella bacteria. We are using formic acid for the processing of organic latex into rubber. However, formic acid is the active ingredient in a few brands of household limescale remover. We are using formic acid in a group of saturated monocarboxylic acids. It is worth noting that formic acid remains an essential ingredient in the dyeing and tanning industries. 

The weightage of the chapter (Aldehydes Ketones And Carboxylic Acids) in the exam is 2.1 marks. 

• Formic acid has the Empirical formula CH₂O₂
• Formic acid has been categorised as a carboxylic acid
• We observed that the molar mass of formic acid is 46.03 g/mol
• Formic acid intake can result in mouth, throat, gastrointestinal burns, drooling, trouble swallowing and vomiting

Q: Is the formic acid solvent protic or aprotic?

Q: Where do we get formic acid?

Q: Is it present in an ant sting?

Q: What neutralises formic acid?

Q: How is formic acid used by ants?