What Is The Function of Fumaric Acid?
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What Is The Function of Fumaric Acid?

Publish Time: 2022-05-17     Origin: Site

The chemical formula of fumaric acid is C4H4O4, a butene-derived carboxylic acid and a colorless, flammable crystal.


  • What is the industrial production process of fumaric acid?

  • What role does fumaric acid play?

  • What properties does fumaric acid have?


What is the industrial production process of fumaric acid?



In industry, there are various processes for the production of fumaric acid. Its main source is the oxidation of benzene (or butene) to maleic acid (or maleic anhydride) in the presence of a catalyst, which is then obtained by isomerization. The benzene (or 80% butene) is oxidized with excess air in a fluidized bed or fixed bed reactor to produce maleic anhydride, which is absorbed by the circulating acid solution in maleic acid. After discoloration and filtration, maleic acid is isomerized under the action of a thioharnic catalyst and the reactant is filtered, washed and dried to obtain fumaric acid. The isomerization catalyst also uses ammonium persulfate-ammonium bromide mixtures or metal salts, amine salts, mercaptans and 10–20% hydrochloric acid. Carbohydrates such as sucrose, glucose and maltose can also be fermented by black root bacteria to fumaric acid.


What role does fumaric acid play?


Fumaric acid is commonly known as anti-mildew preservative No. 1, DMF for short. It is a white crystal or crystalline powder at room temperature. Dimethyl fumarate has the characteristics of a highly efficient and antibacterial broad spectrum, has a special antibacterial effect on mold and has insecticidal activity as well as contact killing and fumigation. It has been widely used in food, beverage, feed, Chinese herbal medicine, cosmetics, fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, etc. used. It is currently classified as an inedible substance and its use in food (including flour products) is prohibited.


What properties does fumaric acid have?


Physical properties

Density: 1,63 g/cm3

Melting point: 298-300℃

Boiling point: 355.5℃

Flash point: 183℃

Refractive index: 1.526 (20℃)

Appearance: white powder or colorless crystal

Solubility: Soluble in ethanol, slightly soluble in water and ether, insoluble in chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, benzene

Chemical properties: The simplest unsaturated dicarboxylic acid. It was first found in Corydalis Corydalis and is also found in a variety of mushrooms and fresh beef. Fumaric acid and maleic acid are geometric isomers of each other, and fumaric acid is heated to 250–300°C and converted to maleic acid. fumaric acid can also produce monobasic and dibasic esters or amides, but not monobasic acid chloride. It reacts with phosphorus pentachloride or thionyl chloride to form bibasic acid chloride. Oxidation of fumaric acidby potassium permanganate produces racemic tartaric acid.


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