Formaldehyde Uses

Before going on to the uses of the formaldehyde, let us see a little bit more about the chemical itself. Formaldehyde is most commonly used as a preservative in laboratories and the morgue. It is a chemical which is colorless and has a very strong smell. It is commonly found in products such as chemicals, glues, press fabrics and plywood. But what actually is formaldehyde?

When you burn methane, formaldehyde is produced as an intermediate product of combustion. The formaldehyde is chemically known as methanal and it formula is CH₂O. There are other forms of formaldehyde too; cyclic trimer trioxane and polymer paraformaldehyde. The aqueous solution of formaldehyde is called formalin. The commercially available formalin has 10 to 12% methanol with a few impurities like aluminum and copper. Almost 21 million tons of formaldehyde is produced annually all around the world.

Synthesis of Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is produced by catalytic oxidation of methanol. A mixture of molybdenum and iron or silver is used as a catalyst in such a reaction. But a more commonly used process is FORMAX. In this process, methanol and oxygen react at temperatures more than 250º C in the presence of vanadium to produce formaldehyde. The following chemical equation represents the reaction that takes place.

2CH₃OH + O₂---> 2CH₂O + 2H₂0 .

But if you are using a silver-based catalyst, then you have to operate at a temperature of more than 650º C. Although formaldehyde is the intermediate product of oxidation of methane, it is not industrially viable, because formaldehyde is more easily oxidized than methane.

Uses

As a Disinfectant
Formaldehyde is considered as a highly effective disinfectant. It completely negates the activities of bacteria, fungi, yeast and molds. But it has extreme odor and causes high irritation to the nose and eyes, and this is the reason of its limited use. But recently, many companies have been able to produce a processed formaldehyde which is not as irritable and is yet an effective disinfectant as before.

Photography
While synthesizing a photograph, formaldehyde is used in the final wash stage for a color negative film. It is also used in the pre-bleach stage. This reduces the need to use formaldehyde in the final stage.

Embalming Agent
Embalming is a process which temporarily stalls the decomposition of the human remains. Formaldehyde is one of the embalming agents. It also fixes those tissues that are responsible for the firmness of the muscles in an embalmed body.

Other Uses
Formaldehyde along with sulfuric acid is used to create Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). In layman's language, formaldehyde is used to create the drug extacy. This drug is considered as a narcotic and its possession is a criminal offense in many countries. However, it is also used in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety associated with cancer.

Another interesting use of formaldehyde is that, when you immerse the lungs of an embalmed body into its aqueous solution, if the lungs are floating then a mortician concludes that the deceased was breathing while he passed away. If they do not float then the person was not breathing.

The above extract was an effort to illustrate some of the formaldehyde uses. I hope that the reader finds it informative and solves his purpose of understanding this chemical and its uses.