Succinic Acid Succinic Acid
- Main Applications
Biodegradable resins, Bath additives, Plating chemicals, Photo developing agents, Food additives (acidifiers)
- Applications
Basic Information
Succinic acid is a dicarboxylic acid with two carboxyl groups.
It is distributed widely through the natural world, where it is contained in bivalves, fossils, algae, lichen, bacteria, and so on. It was discovered in 1550 by the German chemist Georgius Agricola, who was the first to purify it from amber by dry distillation. Succinic acid is useful, non-toxic, stable and harmless to the human body. It is generated in a citric acid cycle (succinic acid dehydrate enzyme) and a succinic acid-glycine cycle through the process of metabolism, and eventually becomes energy. Succinic acid is industrially produced by the hydrogenation of maleic anhydride.
The succinic acid manufactured by Nippon Shokubai was launched in 1950. Since then, in addition to its use as a food additive, our succinic acid has been used in a wide range of fields including biodegradable resins, bath additives, plating chemicals, and photo developing agents.
| Chemical Structure |  |
|---|---|
| Chemical Formula | C4H6O4 |
| CAS No. | 110-15-6 |
| Molecular Weight | 118.09 |
| pH | 2.9 (25℃) |
| Boiling Point | 235℃ |
| Persistence/Degradability | Good degradability |
Delivery Specifications
Industrial Use
| Delivery Specification Items | Unit | Standard Values |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | ― | White crystalline powder |
| Purity | ％ | ≧99.0 |
| Melting Point | ℃ | ≧185 |
| Water Content | ％ | ≦0.5 |
| Ash Content | ％ | ≦0.1 |
Food Additives
| Delivery Specification Items | Unit | Standard Values | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Properties | ― | White crystalline powder, Odorless | |
| Verification Tests | ― | Forms a brown precipitate | |
| Content | ％ | ≧99.0 | |
| Melting Point | ℃ | 185 – 190 | |
| Purity Tests | (1) Lead (as Pb) | μg/g | ≦2 |
| (2) Arsenic (as As) | μg/g | ≦3 | |
| (3) Readily Oxidizable Substances | min | The red color of the solution does not disappear within 3 minutes. | |
| Residue on Ignition | ％ | ≦0.025 | |
The testing methods are in accordance with the Japan’s Specifications and Standards for Food Additives (9th Edition).
Packaging: 20 kg paper bag, 500 kg container bag
Please be sure to read the Chemical Products Safety Data Sheet (SDS) when handling this product.
Functions and Applications
1. Food Additive
Succinic acid adds umami and sourness, used to adjust flavor in foods.
2. Complex Formation Agent
Succinic acid is used in plating baths and other applications as a complexing agent that stabilizes various metal ions. It contains carboxyl groups, which form complexes with metal ions and thereby stabilize them in plating solutions.
3. pH Regulator
Succinic acid solution is acidic and used for pH adjustment.
4. Foaming Aid
Reacts with carbonates to release CO₂, used in bath additives.
5.Biodegradable Resin Material
Used as a monomer for biodegradable polyesters with linear structure and multiple ester bonds, easily decomposed by microbes.
Solubility of Succinic Acid
Succinic acid exhibits a certain degree of solubility even at room temperature, and its solubility increases with temperature.
