Heptanoic acid

Description

Heptanoic acid, also called enanthic acid, is an organic compound composed of a seven - carbon chain terminating in a carboxylic acid. It is an oily liquid with an unpleasant, rancid odor. It contributes to the odor of some rancid oils. It is slightly soluble in water, but very soluble in ethanol and ether.

The Uses of Heptanoic acid

There are two major uses for heptanoic acid. One is in vinyl plasticizers that are used primarily in the automotive market.This market is expected to grow 3 to 4% per year with GNP.The second is in synthetic lubricants, where heptanoic acid is used in polyol esters.The market for polyol esters is primarily for use in commercial and military jet turbine lubricants.There is a small market for these esters in the automotive lubricant area, but there has been limited acceptance of these products by automakers and the public.The growth of the polyol ester market is expected to track GNP, unless automakers change to support synthetics or unless there is an elevation of military activity.
The use of heptanoic acid in high-water metalworking fluids has grown in excess of 20% over the last several years.The amount of acid used in these products is small; therefore, a dramatic change from the traditional oil-based fluids would be required before there would be significant market impact.