N-Butyric Acid
N-Butyric Acid (C₄H₈O₂) is a colorless, oily liquid with a strong, unpleasant odor. It is a short-chain fatty acid widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries as a flavoring agent, chemical intermediate, and preservative.
Applications
- Used in food industry as a flavoring agent in dairy, cheese, and baked products.
- Incorporated in pharmaceutical formulations for enteric coatings and as an intermediate in drug synthesis.
- Employed in cosmetic products as a fragrance component in perfumery.
- Used in industrial chemical synthesis to manufacture esters, solvents, and plasticizers.
- Applied in animal feed additives for digestive health and antimicrobial effects.
Advantages
- Acts as a flavor enhancer in food and dairy products.
- Versatile chemical intermediate for synthesis of esters, solvents, and pharmaceuticals.
- Antimicrobial properties, useful in food preservation and animal feed.
- Non-toxic in controlled concentrations, safe for food and cosmetic applications.
- Widely applicable across food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and industrial industries.
Table
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Definition | Colorless, oily liquid short-chain fatty acid with strong odor; used as flavoring agent, intermediate, and preservative. |
| Applications | Food flavoring (dairy, cheese, bakery), pharmaceuticals (drug synthesis, coatings), cosmetics (perfumes), industrial synthesis (esters, solvents, plasticizers), animal feed additives. |
| Advantages | Flavor enhancer, chemical intermediate, antimicrobial, non-toxic (controlled), versatile applications. |
| Chemical Type | Short-chain fatty acid (C₄H₈O₂) |
| Main Function / Use | Flavoring agent, preservative, chemical intermediate, antimicrobial additive, industrial synthesis. |