a yellowish liquid with the odor of fresh rye bread. Furfural has the structural formula
It has a boiling point of 161.7°C and a density of 1.16 g/cm3 at 20°C. Moderately soluble in water, it is readily soluble in alcohol and ether. Its chemical properties are similar to those of benzaldehyde.
Furfural is obtained by the hydrolysis of vegetable matter, such as corn stumps, rice offal, and other materials that contain pentosan. Furfural serves as a raw material in the preparation of furan, tetrahydrofuran, and tetrahydrofuryl alcohol and in the manufacture of furan resins, fungicides, and such pharmaceuticals as Furacin. It is also used in the refining of lubricating oils in the petroleum industry.