Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde (CAS 50-00-0), also known commercially as Paraform in its solid polymerized form and listed as E240 in food-related contexts, is a high-demand chemical intermediate.

Where is Formaldehyde used?

• Industrial manufacturing and preservation: biocidal agent
• Resins and polymers: crosslinking agent, disinfectant and reactive monomer
• Chemical manufacturing: foundational building block for urea-formaldehyde and phenol-formaldehyde resins in adhesives, laminates and molded components
• Textile and leather processing: crosslinking agent imparting wrinkle resistance, dimensional stability and wet strength
• Water treatment: biocide controlling microbial growth in industrial cooling systems and process water
• Personal care: preservative in low-concentration formulations
• Pharmaceutical producers rely on it for equipment sterilization and vaccine inactivation.
• Production of plastics and coatings.
• Cationic melamine-formaldehyde resins are used in water treatment to manufacture ion exchange resins.
• Synthesis reagent for manufacturing substances such as 1,4-butanediol, 4,4'-methylenediphenyl diisocyanate, pentaerythritol and hexamethylenetetramine.
• Sulfonated melamine-formaldehyde resins are used in the cement and plaster industry as dispersants and plasticizers.

Formulation notes

• Can react with many chemicals; at very high temperatures it will degrade to methanol and carbon monoxide.
• Can bind within minutes to endogenous building blocks such as amines, thiols, hydroxyl groups, proteins or nucleic acids.

Typical specification

• Formol or formalin is an aqueous solution of formaldehyde at 37-40% in water with 10-15% methanol to prevent polymerization.
• Sold and used in aqueous solution at concentrations between 3% and 55% by mass.
• Aqueous solutions of formaldehyde are referred to as formalin.

Regulatory status

• Packaging of formaldehyde or mixtures containing it must bear the statement 'Reserved exclusively for professional users' before being placed on the market.
• If formaldehyde is placed on the market in non-stabilised form, the supplier must show the substance name followed by 'non stabilisée' on the label (Note D).

Storage, packaging and handling

• Methanol is usually added to aqueous formaldehyde solutions to stabilize them, and these stabilized solutions are known as formalin.

Frequently asked questions about Formaldehyde

What are the regulatory limits for formaldehyde emissions from wood-based materials and furniture in the EU?

The new EU regulation sets a formaldehyde emission limit of 0.062 mg/m³ for wood-based articles and furniture and the interior equipment of road vehicles.

When does the EU-wide Formaldehyde Regulation enter into force?

An EU-wide 'Formaldehyde Regulation' enters into force on 06 August 2026, providing for the first time an EU-wide regulation for formaldehyde emissions from wood-based materials and other products.

Technical content is compiled and updated by the SoleChem product team from public technical sources; the certificate of analysis (COA) governs product-specific specifications.