Formalin 40% (Formaldehyde)

Formalin or Formaldehyde is a naturally-occurring organic compound and the simplest aldehyde known by its systematic name methanal. At room temperature, formaldehyde is colorless and has a characteristic pungent, irritating odor.

Commercial solutions of formaldehyde in water, commonly called formol or formalin, were formerly used as disinfectants and for preservation of biological specimens. It is also used for the embalming of human remains. It is commonly used in nail hardeners and/or nail varnish.

The textile industry uses formaldehyde-based resins as finishers to make fabrics crease-resistant. When treated with phenol, urea, or melamine, formaldehyde produces, respectively, hard thermoset phenol formaldehyde resin, urea formaldehyde resin, and melamine resin. These polymers are common permanent adhesives used in plywood and carpeting. It is used as the wet-strength resin added to sanitary paper products such as facial tissue, table napkins, and roll towels. They are also foamed to make insulation, or cast into moulded products.

Formaldehyde is also a precursor to polyfunctional alcohols such as pentaerythritol, which is used to make paints.

An aqueous solution of formaldehyde can be useful as a disinfectant as it kills most bacteria and fungi (including their spores). Formaldehyde solutions are applied topically in medicine to dry the skin, such as in the treatment of warts. Some topical creams, cosmetics and personal hygiene products contain derivatives of formaldehyde as the active ingredients that prevent the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.

It is widely use as a tissue fixative and embalming agent. In drug testing, formaldehyde, along with sulfuric acid makes Marquis Reagent which can be used to identify alkaloids and other compounds.

In photography, formaldehyde is used in low concentrations for process C-41 (color negative film) stabilizer in the final wash step, as well as in the process E-6 pre-bleach step, to obviate the need for it in the final wash.

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