Formic acid belongs to the family of carboxylic acids of which it is the simplest one.  It has the lowest weight of all the acids in that family.  It is colourless and highly corrosive and has a very distinct odour.  Like the other acids in the family of carboxylic acids, it reacts with most alcohols to form ethers.  Formic acid boils at 100ºC and becomes solid at 8.4ºC.  It is naturally found in the stings of bees and bites of a number or insects, especially ants.  Specifically, it is found in the bodies of red ants.

Formic acid can be mixed with water and other organic solvents.  It is processed commercially by heating carbon monoxide and sodium hydroxide to form sodium formate.  When this is carefully treated with sulphuric acid, it produces formic acid.  There are numerous uses of formic acid.  Most of them are listed below:

Uses

1. It is used as a preservative and antibacterial agent in livestock feed.  This is its main purpose. When it is sprayed on fresh hay, it controls the decay process and thus causes the feed to remain fresh with all its nutrients for a longer period.  It is widely used to preserve feed for animals in the winter season.  It is widely used in the poultry industry to kill salmonella bacteria by adding it to the feed.
2. It is used as an intermediate in chemical synthetic processes
3. It is used in the manufacture of some household limescalers.
4. It is used to process organic latex into raw rubber
5. People who rear bees use this acid as a miticide to control the Varroa mite which affects bees.
6. It is also used in the textile industry for dyeing textiles and for the tanning of leather.
7. It is used in the manufacture of perfumes and artificial flavourings.
8. It is widely used in laboratories as a source of hydride ion and hydrogen.  It is also used as a source of carbon monoxide which is released whenever sulphuric acid is added.
9. It is used in clinical pathology clinics as a disinfectant in removing prion which is an infectious protein particle, from brain samples.  Prion is responsible for diseases such as scrapie and bovine spongiform.  Scrapie is a disease which affects the nervous system of goats.  Bovine spongiform is a disease which affects the hormone that is responsible for milk production in cattle.

Formic acid is processed and disregarded by the body but there can be long lasting effects.  Experiments that have been carried out revealed that prolonged exposure can lead to liver or kidney damage.  Exposure over a long period of time may also cause a certain type of skin allergy.  Exposure to concentrated vapours can cause permanent eye damage and chemical burns.  If vapours are inhaled it can damage the respiratory tract.

Tips

• When handling formic acid, always do so with care.
• Always protect the skin and eyes.
• Do not inhale.