Furfural and furanics (FDCA): Characteristics
Why furfural darkens on the shelf, and why FDCA must be pure
What this tab covers The physical and chemical properties that set its grade, price and uses, with the commercial grades and the standards that define them.Furfural buyers care about purity, colour and stability, because it darkens and forms resins on storage. Furfuryl alcohol for foundry resins is specified by purity and water content. FDCA must be polymer grade (very high purity) to make clear, strong PEF.
Properties that matter commercially
| Property | Value / specification | Why it matters | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purity | at least 98.5-99% furfural (indicative) | Resin and solvent performance | indicative |
| Boiling point | about 162 C | Recovery and solvent use | standard chemistry data |
| PEF barrier | oxygen barrier several times better than PET (Avantium claims, indicative) | Longer shelf life for beer, juice and carbonated drinks | indicative |
Commercial grades
- Furfural refined (99%)
- Furfuryl alcohol
- Furan no-bake resins
- Tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol
- Polymer-grade FDCA
- PEF resin