Butyric acid
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Description
A colorless liquid with a rancid butter smell. Butyric acid occurs naturally in butter in concentration of about 5%. It is used in the manufacture of varnishes and the pretreatment of hides for tanning.
Synonyms and Related Terms
butanoic acid; n-butyric acid; ethylacetic acid; propylformic acid
Risks
- Combustible. Flash point = 69C.
- Strongly irritating to skin and tissue. May cause burns.
- Fisher Scientific: MSDS
Physical and Chemical Properties
Miscible with water, ethanol, ether.
| Composition | CH3CH2CH2COOH |
|---|---|
| CAS | 107-92-6 |
| Melting Point | -7.9 C |
| Density | 0.959 g/ml |
| Molecular Weight | mol. wt. = 88.11 |
| Refractive Index | 1.3981 |
| Boiling Point | 163.5C |
Resources and Citations
- Thomas Gregory, The Condensed Chemical Dictionary, Reinhold Publishing, New York, 3rd ed., 1942
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 343
- The Merck Index, Martha Windholz (ed.), Merck Research Labs, Rahway NJ, 10th edition, 1983 Comment: entry 1566; ref. index=1.3981
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Robert Weast (ed.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, v. 61, 1980 Comment: ref. index=1.396