Maleic Anhydride is a highly reactive chemical intermediate with present and potential uses in practically every field of industrial chemistry. Maleic anhydride is used in the production of unsaturated polyester resin as well as in the manufacture of coatings, pharmaceutics, agricultural products, surfactants, and as an additive of plastics.
TCC’s maleic anhydride is a highly reactive chemical intermediate with present and potential uses in practically every field of industrial chemistry. Maleic anhydride is essential to the production of a multitude of resins and plastics, agricultural and industrial chemicals, petroleum additives, paper sizing, water treatment chemicals, epoxy curing agents, artificial sweeteners, flavor enhancers, hair sprays, pharmaceuticals and copolymers. Its biggest single use is in the manufacture of unsaturated polyester resins.
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TCC’s Maleic Anhydride is an organic compound with the formula C2H2(CO)2O. It is the acid anhydride of maleic acid and in its pure state is a colorless or white solid with an acrid odor.
Maleic anhydride was traditionally manufactured by the oxidation of benzene or other aromatic compounds. As of 2006, only a few smaller plants continue to use benzene; due to rising benzene prices, most maleic anhydride plants now use n-butane as a feedstock.
The chemistry of maleic anhydride is very rich, reflecting its ready availability and bifunctional reactivity. It hydrolyzes, producing maleic acid, cis-HOOC–CH=CH–COOH. With alcohols such as methanol, the half-ester is generated, e.g., cis-HOOC–CH=CH–COOCH3.
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