Uses
A major use of formic acid is as a preservative and antibacterial agent in livestock feed. In Europe, it is applied on silage (including fresh hay) to promote the fermentation of lactic acid and to suppress the formation of butyric acid; it also allows fermentation to occur quickly, and at a lower temperature, reducing the loss of nutritional value. Formic acid arrests certain decay processes and causes the feed to retain its nutritive value longer, and so it is widely used to preserve winter feed for cattle. In the poultry industry, it is sometimes added to feed to kill E. coli bacteria. Use as preservative for silage and (other) animal feed constituted 30% of the global consumption in 2009.
Formic acid is also significantly used in the production of leather -incl. tanning- (23% of the global consumption in 2009) and in dyeing and finishing of textile (9% of the global consumption in 2009) because of its acidic nature. Use as a coagulant in the production of rubber constituted in 2009 6% of the global consumption.
Formic acid is also used in place of mineral acids for various cleaning products, such as limescale remover and toilet bowl cleaner. Some formate esters are artificial flavorings or perfumes. Beekeepers use formic acid as a miticide against the tracheal mite (Acarapis woodi) and the Varroa mite. The use of formic acid in fuel cells is also under investigation.
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