Oxalic Acid

Abstract

Oxalix acid is the simplest dicarboxylic acid. It occurs naturally in many plants (wood sorrel, rhubarb,spinach). Oxalic acid is an important organic chemical having wide application in various industries such as texitle industry, dye-stuff industry, pharmaceuticals and others. Its use in textile industry centres upon its calcium-iron removal and reducing properties and as such it is widely used as a bleach for removing iron stains from vairety of materials. Oxalic acid also finds application in automobile radiator cleanser. In dye-stuff industry it is mainly used as an intermediates. It is a starting raw material for the manufacture of diethyl oxalate which in turn is being used as the starting raw material for the manufacture of sulphamethaxazole which the latest sulpha drug used in combination with trimethoprim in various formulations and has broad spectrum antibacterial range. Oxalic acid also finds use as a purifying agent, as a catalyst, as a stripping agent for permanent press resins and also in the processing of rate earths.