Formic Acid

Preparation

Preparation of the simplest carboxylic acid in the laboratory is formic acid can be synthesize by reacting oxalic acid by means of a carboxylic acid by using a glycerol solvent and through a distillation process to obtain pure formic acid. By reaction :

Glycerol as solvent and decarboxylation process by distillation. In the preparation of formic acid occurs decarboxylation reaction is oxidized oxalate acid reaction to formic acid (simple carboxylic acid). Formulation of Formic Acid :

• Hydrolysis of Methyl Formiate The preparation of formic acid in this process is obtained by two reaction stages, methanol carbonization and methylolate hydrolysis reaction. This reaction proceeds endothermically and formic acid is formed to be autocatalis (Ziakowski & Bayne, 1980).
• Direct Synthesis of Carbon Monoxide with Water Formic acid in this process is obtained by hydrolyzing the carbon monoxide gas directly by using copper chloride as a catalyst.
• Formamid Process This process was first introduced by Meyer et al, by reacting carbon monoxide and ammonia at 200 ° C at a pressure of 150-200 atm, then formamid formed reacted with sulfuric acid to give rise to formaldehyde and ammonium sulphate.
• Alkanes Oxidation In this process the formic acid is obtained as a by-product of the butane oxidation in the process of preparation of acetic acid. Formic acid is obtained at 5% [w / w], and this process is less effective for mass formulation of formic acid.
• Alkali Reaction with Carbon Monoxide This process is initiated by reacting carbon monoxide with sodium hydroxide to form sodium acetate, then the sodium acetate formed reacted with sulfuric acid to form formic acid and sodium sulfate salt. Formic acid formed has a small capacity and sodium sulfate salt formed as a by-product may result in a loss of this process (Ziakowski & Bayne, 1980).