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.
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