Butyric Acid

butyric acid

[byü′tir·ik ′as·əd]

(organic chemistry)

CH₃CH₂CH₂COOH A colorless, combustible liquid with boiling point 163.5°C (757 mmHg); soluble in water, alcohol, and ether; used in synthesis of flavors, in pharmaceuticals, and in emulsifying agents.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Butyric Acid

 

a saturated monobasic carboxylic acid of the aliphatic series; a colorless liquid with a sharp, unpleasant odor, readily soluble in water and organic solvents.

Butyric acid has two known isomers: n-butyric acid, CH₃CH₂CH₂COOH (boiling point, 163°C; density, 0.958 g/cm³ at 20°C); and isobutyric acid (CH₃)₂CHCOOH (boiling point, 155°C; density, 0.949 g/cm³ at 20°C). The first can be obtained by the oxidation of n-butanol or by the fermentation of waste products containing starch; the second, by the oxidation of isobutanol. Derivatives of n -butyric acid, or glycerides, are components of animal fats (for example, butter). Butyric acid esters, which have a fruity or floral odor, are of practical significance: certain types are used as aromatic principles in the perfume and food industries, and others as masticators in the preparation of varnishes.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.