Propionic acid

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Description

Colorless oily liquid with a irritating, rancid smell. Propionic acid occurs naturally in small amounts in dairy products and wood pulp. It is used as a mold inhibitor and preservative.

Chemical structure

Propionic acid.jpg

Synonyms and Related Terms

methylacetic acid; propanoic acid; ethylformic acid

Risks

  • Flammable. Flash point = 52 C.
  • Corrosive.
  • Causes burns on contact.
  • Harmful in inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption.
  • ThermoFisher: SDS

Physical and Chemical Properties

Soluble in water, ethanol, chloroform, ether.

Composition CH3CH2CO2H
CAS 79-09-4
Melting Point -20.8 C
Density 0.99 g/ml
Molecular Weight mol. wt. = 74.08
Refractive Index 1.3862
Boiling Point 140.7 C

Resources and Citations

  • G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 9
  • Richard S. Lewis, Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 10th ed., 1993
  • The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: ref. index=1.3862
  • CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: ref. index=1.385