The formic acid market is very broad and is currently characterized by ongoing research into new applications that are expected to help the industry expand at an unprecedented rate during 2021-2027.
According to a report by the World Health Organization, unsafe food consumption is responsible for 600 million cases of foodborne illness and about 420,000 deaths worldwide.In addition, 1.35 million of these infections cited by the CDC may have been caused by Salmonella, resulting in approximately 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the United States.
Considering the ubiquity and far-reaching impact of this foodborne pathogen, employing strategies to mitigate the presence of bacteria in animals is a practical solution to this problem.In this regard, the use of organic acids in animal feed can serve as a key means of inhibiting bacteria and preventing future recontamination.This is where formic acid comes into play.
Formic acid limits pathogens in animal feed and prevents their growth in the avian gastrointestinal tract.Furthermore, the compound has been described as a highly effective antibacterial agent against Salmonella and other pathogens.
Highlights research may open new avenues for formic acid industry in animal feed applications
In April 2021, a study showed that sodium-buffered formic acid can be used in pellet and mash feeds in pig nurseries, broiler growers, and pig finishers to provide 3 months of continuous acidification.
Concentrations of this compound showed greater stability in pelleted and mashed feeds, and inclusion at high levels lowered the pH of the feed.These results may help producers better understand the use of formic acid in mash and pellet feeds for animal feed applications.
Speaking of which, it is important to mention BASF’s Amasil formic acid.According to the company, the product supports important animal production performance by optimizing feed hygiene, which may help egg and poultry producers deliver efficient yields.
While animal feed applications remain a prominent vertical across the industry, formic acid is also penetrating other industries – some of which include the pharmaceutical, leather, textile, rubber and paper industries.
According to recent research, 85% formic acid is considered safe, economical, and an effective alternative for treating common warts with higher compliance and relatively low side effects.
Having said that, the global increase in the incidence of common warts will have a major impact on the use of formic acid in medicines to treat these conditions.Common warts affect nearly 10 percent of the world’s population, with a prevalence of approximately 10 to 20 percent in school-aged children, according to a recent 2022 report by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.It is more common in meat processors and immunosuppressed patients.
In the textile field, formic acid is generally used to eliminate nitrous acid gas, neutral dyes and weak acid dyes in Tyco’s sub-micron sodium nitrate process.This compound is known to improve the operation rate of dyes in chromium mordant processes.In addition, the use of formic acid instead of sulfuric acid in dyeing can avoid the degradation of cellulose, because the acidity is moderate, it is a good auxiliary agent.
In the rubber industry, formic acid is ideal for coagulating natural latex due to its numerous advantages, including:
These advantages make this compound one of the best natural rubber latex thickeners for dry rubber production.Studies have shown that coagulation of natural rubber latex using the appropriate concentration of formic acid and the recommended method can produce the good quality dry rubber with the good color required by manufacturers and distributors.
Growing demand for rubber latex to increase production of gloves, swimming caps, chewing gum and other products could impact global formic acid compound sales.Not to mention, the growth in glove sales during the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a positive boost to the formic acid market.
Global levels of toxic carbon dioxide are increasing, and the production of different chemicals will only increase this carbon footprint.According to the IEA report, direct carbon emissions from primary chemical production accounted for 920 Mt CO2 in 2020.To this end, governments and organizations are now working to reduce carbon emissions by converting the gas into organic acids that can be used in different industries.
In one such demonstration, a research team at Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan developed a photocatalytic system that can reduce carbon dioxide with the help of sunlight and convert it into formic acid with about 90 percent selectivity.The results showed that the system was able to exhibit 80% to 90% formic acid selectivity and 4.3% quantum yield.
While the production of formic acid from carbon dioxide is increasingly important in the chemical industry today, sources predict that the compound could be seen as an efficient hydrogen storage molecule in a potential future hydrogen economy.In fact, formic acid and its derivatives can be viewed as a storable liquid carbon dioxide that can be used directly in existing chemical value chains.