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Sigma-Aldrich

Paraformaldehyde

prilled, 95%

Synonym(s):

Polyoxymethylene

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About This Item

Linear Formula:
HO(CH2O)nH
CAS Number:
30525-89-4
Molecular Weight:
30.03 (as monomer)
MDL number:
MFCD00133991
UNSPSC Code:
12352100
PubChem Substance ID:
24867646
NACRES:
NA.22

vapor density

1.03 (vs air)

vapor pressure

<1.45 mmHg ( 25 °C)

Assay

95%

form

prilled

autoignition temp.

572 °F

expl. lim.

73 %

mp

120-170 °C (lit.)

transition temp

sublimation point 150 °C

solubility

alcohol and cold water: slightly soluble
ethers, hydrocarbons and carbon tetrachloride: insoluble

density

0.88 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

InChI

1S/CH2O/c1-2/h1H2

InChI key

WSFSSNUMVMOOMR-UHFFFAOYSA-N

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General description

Paraformaldehyde, a polymerization product of formaldehyde, is used in the polycondensation reaction for the synthesis of thermoset polymers.

Paraformaldehyde is also referred as polyoxymethylene. It participates in the regioselective reductive coupling reactions of dienes, alkynes and allenes in the presence of ruthenium catalyst. It also participates in the synthesis of esters, via alkoxycarbonylation of alkenes.

Application

Formaldehyde source to prepare phenol-, urea-, furfuryl alcohol-, resorcinol- and melamine-formaldehyde polymers for use in coatings, wood products, textiles and foundry resins.
Paraformaldehyde may be used in the preparation of azomethine ylide, α-methylenechromanes, α-methylenequinoline and ortho-quinone methides.

Features and Benefits

Source of methanol-free formaldehyde.
Decomposes in hot water to give formaldehyde.

Signal Word

Danger

Hazard Classifications

Acute Tox. 4 Inhalation - Acute Tox. 4 Oral - Carc. 1B - Eye Dam. 1 - Flam. Sol. 2 - Muta. 2 - Skin Irrit. 2 - Skin Sens. 1 - STOT SE 3

Target Organs

Respiratory system

Storage Class Code

4.1B - Flammable solid hazardous materials

WGK

WGK 2

Flash Point(F)

Not applicable

Flash Point(C)

Not applicable

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

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Brannon Sam et al.
Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English), 54(11), 3267-3274 (2014-11-29)
Ruthenium-catalyzed reductive couplings of paraformaldehyde with dienes, alkynes, and allenes provide access to products of hydrohydroxymethylation that cannot be formed selectively under the conditions of hydroformylation. In certain cases, the regioselectivity of the CC coupling can be inverted by using
Ruthenium-Catalyzed Alkoxycarbonylation of Alkenes with Paraformaldehyde as a Carbon Monoxide Substitute.
Liu Q, et al.
ChemCatChem, 6(10), 2805-2809 (2014)
Synthesis of ethanol from paraformaldehyde, CO 2 and H 2
Green Chemistry, 19, 4396-4401 (2017)
José C J M D S Menezes et al.
Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), 20(42), 13644-13655 (2014-08-30)
In view of increasing demands for efficient photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT), we herein report the synthesis and photophysical characterizations of new chlorin e6 trimethyl ester and protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester dyads as free bases and Zn(II) complexes. The synthesis of these
J Justin Mulvey et al.
International journal of nanomedicine, 9, 4245-4255 (2014-09-18)
We aimed to create a more robust and more accessible standard for amine-modifying single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). A 1,3-cycloaddition was developed using an azomethine ylide, generated by reacting paraformaldehyde and a side-chain-Boc (tert-Butyloxycarbonyl)-protected, lysine-derived alpha-amino acid, H-Lys(Boc)-OH, with purified SWCNT
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