What Is Formaldehyde? Why Is Formaldehyde Chemistry So Special?
Naturally occurring formaldehyde is found all around us; it is present in low levels within our body, it is in a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, meats and beverages; it’s even in trees. Since its discovery in 1859, formaldehyde has become an essential ingredient in the development of a variety of everyday items, from vaccines to your kitchen table.
Formaldehyde is a stable molecule, formed by adding two hydrogen atoms to a carbonyl group. Chemically, it has the symbol HCHO. It is the carbonyl group or functionality that makes formaldehyde react so well with other molecules. This functionality enables formaldehyde to bind tightly with other molecules, making it an ideal substance for linking substances together to form unique and versatile performance attributes.
The ability for formaldehyde, in combination with countless other molecules, to chemically react and subsequently build resilient structures makes it one of the most functionally important chemical building blocks in the manufacturing world today. It plays an integral role in a wide variety of industrial applications across the automotive, aviation, textile, energy and building and construction industry sectors, among others.
As a Building Block Chemical, Formaldehyde Is Resource Efficient and Affordable
Formaldehyde provides exceptionally high functionality in a resource-efficient way. This means it is affordable; no other organic molecule is able to achieve the same results at the same cost. Resource-efficiency also means materials and energy are not wasted in its production.
ACC formed the Formaldehyde Panel in June 2010 to represent the producers, suppliers and users of formaldehyde products, as well as trade associations representing key formaldehyde applications. The Formaldehyde Panel’s primary activities include advocacy, research and marketplace outreach.