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Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde structure

CAS No:
50-00-0
Formula:
CH2O
Chemical Name:
Formaldehyde
Synonyms:
Formol;Formaldehyde;Oxymethylene;Methanal;Formic aldehyde;Morbicid;Formalin;superlysoform;Methyl aldehyde;Methylene oxide;lysoform;HCHO;Oxomethylene;Methylene glycol;formalith;fannoform;Oxomethane;;8005-38-7;8006-07-3;8013-13-6;112068-71-0;1053659-79-2;1156543-56-4;1158237-02-5;1196157-74-0;1227476-28-9;1357848-44-2;1416946-65-0;1609158-91-9;2100305-91-5
Categories:
Cosmetic Ingredient > Cosmetic Preservative

Description

Formaldehyde, with the chemical formula CH₂O, is the simplest aldehyde compound. Its molecule consists of a carbonyl group (C=O) and two hydrogen atoms. The polarity of the carbonyl group makes formaldehyde highly reactive. At room temperature, formaldehyde is a colorless gas with a strong pungent odor, a boiling point of -19°C, a melting point of -92°C, and is easily soluble in water to form a formaldehyde aqueous solution (formalin). It is also soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol and ether. The formaldehyde aqueous solution is weakly acidic, with a pH value of about 2.8-4.0.

Formaldehyde Basic Attributes

Molecular Weight：

30.02600

Exact Mass：

30.03

EC Number：

200-001-8

HScode：

2912110000

Characteristics

PSA：

17.07000

XLogP3：

0.45100

Appearance：

Solids containing varying amounts of formaldehyde, probably as paraformaldehyde (polymers of formula HO(CH2O)xH where x averages about 30). A hazard to the environment. Immediate steps should be taken to limit spread to the environment.

Density：

0.8 g/cm³

Melting Point：

-92 °C

Boiling Point：

-19.5 °C

Flash Point：

50 °C (122 °F) for 37 % formaldehyde (15 % methanol)(closed cup); 85 °C (185 °F) for 37 % formaldehyde (methanol free)(closed cu

Refractive Index：

7 g/L (25 ºC)

Water Solubility：

H2O: soluble , > 100 g/100 ml（20 °C）

Storage Conditions：

2-8ºC

Vapor Pressure：

>1 atm (20 °C)

Vapor Density：

300ºC

Toxicity：

LD50 oral (rat) 500 mg/kg LD50 skin (rabbit) 270 mg/kg LC50 inhal (rat) 203 mg/m3 (2 h) PEL (OSHA) 1 ppm (1.5 mg/m3) TLV-TWA (ACGIH) 0.3 ppm (ceiling)(0.37 mg/m3) STEL (OSHA) 2 ppm (2.5 mg/m3)

Flammability characteristics：

Flammable Gas

Explosive limit：

vol% in air: 7.03.0

Odor：

Pungent, suffocating odor

PH：

pH: 2.8 to 4.0 /Formaldehyde soln/

PKA：

13.3(at 25 °C)

Safety Information

Packing level：

III

Hazard category：

Transport codes：

UN 2209 8 / PGIII

wgk germany：

hazard class code：

R23/24/25; R34; R43; R45

safety instructions：

S26;S36/37/39;S45;S51;S53;S60

RTECS Number：

LP8925000

Marks：

T; C

Storage features：

Cool. Dry. Keep in a well-ventilated room. Separated from strong oxidants, strong bases and strong acids.

Stability/Shelf Life：

Formaldehyde gas is stable in the absence of water.

Precautionary statement(s)：

P201-P260-P280-P301 + P310 + P330-P303 + P361 + P353-P304 + P340 + P310-P305 + P351 + P338-P308 + P311-P403 + P233

Hazard Statements：

H301 + H311 + H331-H314-H317-H335-H341-H350-H370

RIDADR：

UN 2209 8 / PGIII

Caution Statement：

P201; P260; P280; P301 + P310 + P330; P303 + P361 + P353; P304 + P340 + P310; P305 + P351 + P338; P308 + P311

Toxicity

Name	Type of Test	Exposure Route	Species Observed	Dose/Duration	Toxic Effects	Reference
SKIN/EYE IRRITATION DATA	Standard Draize test	Administration onto the skin	Human	150 ug/3D (Intermittent)	--	Cutaneous Toxicity, Proceedings of the 3rd Conference, 1976, Drill, V.A., and P. Lazar, eds., New York, Academic Press, Inc. 1977 Volume(issue)/page/year: -,127,1977
SKIN/EYE IRRITATION DATA	Standard Draize test	Administration into the eye	Human	4 ppm/5M	--	International Journal of Air and Water Pollution. (London, UK) V.4(1-4), 1961. For publisher information, see ATENBP. Volume(issue)/page/year: 4,79,1961
SKIN/EYE IRRITATION DATA	Non-standard exposure	Administration into the eye	Human	1 ppm/6M	--	American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal. (AIHA, 475 Wolf Ledges Pkwy., Akron, OH 44311) V.19- 1958- Volume(issue)/page/year: 44,463,1983

Formaldehyde Use and Manufacturing

Formaldehyde is used in various organic synthesis and reactions. It is used in the textile industry in the area of crosslinking molecules to vary the properties of fabrics. In the food industry it is used to reinforce and improve packaging of meats and produce. It can help improve the water resistance of biodegradable collagen films.

Analysis Methods

Name	Column Shape	Active Phase(℃)	Retention index	Temperature Control	Method	Comments	Reference
Kovats' RI, non-polar column, isothermal	Packed	Porapack Q	284.	200.	isothermal	N2	Goebel, K.-J.Gaschromatographische Identifizierung Niedrig Siedender Substanzen Mittels Retentionsindices und RechnerhilfeJ. Chromatogr.1982, 235, 1, 119-127.
Kovats' RI, non-polar column, isothermal	Packed	SE-30	229.	150.	isothermal	Celatom AW silanized; Column length: 3.7 m	Haken, J.K.Nguyen, A.Wainwright, M.S.Application of linear extrathermodynamic relationships to alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, amd ethoxy alcoholsJ. Chromatogr.1979, 179, 1, 75-85.
Kovats' RI, non-polar column, isothermal	Packed	Apiezon L	249.	160.	isothermal	Celite 545	Bogoslovsky, Yu.N.Anvaer, B.I.Vigdergauz, M.S.Chromatographic constants in gas chromatography (in Russian)Standards Publ. House, Moscow, 1978, 192.
Kovats' RI, non-polar column, isothermal	Capillary	OV-101	273.		temperature ramp	25. m/0.20 mm/0.10 μm, N2/He, 6. K/min; T_start: 50. C; T_end: 250. C	Zenkevich, I.G.Experimentally measured retention indices.2005.
Kovats' RI, non-polar column, isothermal	Capillary	SPB-1	247.		custom temperature program	60. m/0.53 mm/5. μm, He; Program: 40C(6min) => 5C/min => 80C => 10C/min => 200C	Flanagan, R.J.Streete, P.J.Ramsey, J.D.Volatile Substance AbuseUNODC Technical Series, No 5, United Nations, Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna International Centre, PO Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria, 1997, 56, retrieved from http://www.odccp.org/pdf/technica

Computed Properties

Molecular Weight:30.026
XLogP3:1.2
Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Count:1
Exact Mass:30.010564683
Monoisotopic Mass:30.010564683
Topological Polar Surface Area:17.1
Heavy Atom Count:2
Complexity:2
Covalently-Bonded Unit Count:1
Compound Is Canonicalized:Yes

Synthesis Route

88794-58-5

310447-99-5

1600-27-7

Downstream Products

1,4-Butanediol

Paraformaldehyde

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid

Trimethylolpropane

Price Analysis

Make your Formaldehyde purchase based on the price and market insights! ECHEMI provides professional market insights with prices for you to make a better choice. Learn more on Formaldehyde prices .

Data: 2026-07-24
Price: 1262.50Yuan/mt
Change: 5.0

Drug Function and Efficacy

It is a strong reducing agent with strong bactericidal and insecticidal properties, and can kill parasites, algae, fungi, bacteria, spores and viruses.

This ingredient has been used in drugs with the following functions (note: it does not mean that the ingredient itself has the following health functions)

Related Drugs

Formaldehyde solution
Ingredients	formaldehyde
Indication	This product should be stored in a sealed colored glass bottle, not in a metal container, and should be kept in a cool place with little temperature change to prevent the formation of white flocculent precipitation of trioxymethylene.

Registered Holders

Hunan Er-Kang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

China
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