Danielle has taught middle school science and has a doctorate degree in Environmental Health
The chemical compound maleic anhydride is used in products ranging from pesticide sprays to resin materials. When converted to a different chemical, would you guess that maleic anhydride is used to enhance the flavors of food and beverages? This is certainly true!
A versatile compound, maleic anhydride is an organic chemical classified as the acid anhydride of maleic acid. When we see its molecular structure, we can tell that the molecular formula of maleic anhydride is C4H2O3, and you can see its molecular structure below. If we think back to our early organic chemistry days, we will remember that acid anhydrides are a type of functional group. The structure of this functional group is also shown below.
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Do you know where an acid anhydride, like maleic anhydride, is derived from? It is created from a different functional group called a carboxylic acid. The structure of a carboxylic acid is shown below. Let's say you have two carboxylic acid molecules. If you join them together, squishing out the molecule of water between them, the end result is a product called an acid anhydride.
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The exact same process is used to create maleic anhydride from maleic acid. Maleic acid is a dicarboxylic acid. This is a fancy term to say it has two, not one, carboxylic acid functional groups in its structure. When you take maleic acid and squish out the molecule of water via a chemical reaction called dehydration, the product formed is maleic anhydride. This basic equation is shown below.
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One physical property of maleic anhydride is its color. If you're working with the solid form of this compound, you will notice its white color. You may also be able to smell its highly offensive odor. Most often this odor is described as not only irritating but also choking. With a molecular weight of 98.06g/mol, the melting point of maleic anhydride is 53.58C. Its boiling point is 200.1C. Besides its solubility in water, one last property to make special note of is its density. The density of maleic anhydride is 1.48g/cm3.
There are many uses for maleic anhydride, ranging from a chemical reagent in laboratories to a component in resin products. One particular use that is quite interesting is maleic anhydride's role in the modification of food and beverages. Yes, it sounds very odd to have an acid anhydride in our food and beverages, but it is commonly used as an additive. Specifically, when maleic anhydride is converted to maleic and/or fumaric acid, it is a great preservative or flavor enhancer.
Even more interesting, when converted to these acids it can be used to give that puckering sour flavor to our food products or produce those great tasting pudding mixes and powdered drinks. Everyday products that we would least likely suspect maleic anhydride to be present in include cosmetics, detergents, our toiletries, agricultural pesticides, and lubricating oils for products like vehicles.
To note, those resin products we mentioned earlier refer to the use of maleic anhydride for the production of unsaturated polyester resin. Certainly there is no need to remember this resin name; however, it is pretty interesting to know this resin is useful in the manufacturing of such products as boats, buildings, piping, and electrical goods. Even our vehicles contain this resin!
A fascinating chemical, part of the thousands of organic chemicals known to man, maleic anhydride is used for a variety of purposes. The next time you relax on a boat or research the food additives in your meal, think about the synthesis of maleic anhydride and its role in producing such products.
Maleic anhydride is an organic chemical compound whose molecular formula is C4H2O3. It is derived from the dicarboxylic acid maleic acid via a chemical hydration reaction. Known to have a white solid form, its odor is very offensive. The molecular weight of maleic anhydride is 98.06g/mol and its density is 1.48g/cm3. Uses for maleic anhydride are quite diverse. They range from food additives to agricultural pesticides and cosmetics.
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