The simplest aldehyde made of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen is called Formaldehyde with the formula of CH2O. It is from a large family of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds which evaporate and become gaseous at room temperature. Let’s learn more about formaldehyde, its properties, structure, uses, etc.

Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is first in the series of aliphatic aldehydes and is also a reactive molecule. Formaldehyde is one of the most important industrial chemicals and is usually described as a gas, but it also exists dissolved in water or other solvents. It is a naturally occurring substance used in a wide variety of applications.

Formaldehyde Structure
The IUPAC name of Formaldehyde is Methanal and its chemical formula is CH2O. Their functional group is an aldehyde: −CHO which is made up of one carbon atom, two hydrogen atoms, and one oxygen atom.

Uses of Formaldehyde, CH2O
1.Formaldehyde CH2O is used in the food industry as a preservative in a variety of packaged foodstuffs in very minor diluted quantities.
2.Formaldehyde CH2O is used in the production of resins, principally urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde, which are used to make cores and molds for foundries.
3.Formaldehyde CH2O is used as an antiseptic solution in very small concentrations because it possesses anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It is also used in agriculture and medicine where it is used as a disinfectant, fungicide, fumigant, and preservatives.
4.Formaldehyde CH2O is used to produce a wide range of products, particularly building materials.
5.Formaldehyde CH2O is one of the components used to make RDX.