Formaldehyde

• Formula: CH₂O
• Molecular weight: 30.0260
• IUPAC Standard InChI: InChI=1S/CH2O/c1-2/h1H2 Copy

  
• IUPAC Standard InChIKey: WSFSSNUMVMOOMR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copy
• CAS Registry Number: 50-00-0
• Chemical structure:
  This structure is also available as a 2d Mol file or as a computed 3d SD file
  The 3d structure may be viewed using Java or Javascript.
• Isotopologues:
  • methanal-d
• Other names: Methanal; BFV; Fannoform; Formaldehyde, gas; Formalin; Formalith; Formic aldehyde; Formol; Fyde; Lysoform; Methyl aldehyde; Methylene oxide; Morbicid; Oxomethane; Oxymethylene; Paraform; Superlysoform; Karsan; Methaldehyde; Aldehyde formique; Aldeide formica; Formaldehyd; Formalin-loesungen; Formalina; Formaline; NCI-C02799; Oplossingen; Aldehyd mravenci; Formalin 40; Rcra waste number U122; UN 1198; UN 2209; H2CO; Durine; Hercules 37M6-8; CH2O; NSC 298885; Fordor
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• Information on this page:
  • Gas phase thermochemistry data
  • IR Spectrum
  • Mass spectrum (electron ionization)
  • Gas Chromatography
  • References
  • Notes
• Other data available:
  • Phase change data
  • Reaction thermochemistry data
  • Gas phase ion energetics data
  • Ion clustering data
  • Vibrational and/or electronic energy levels
• Data at other public NIST sites:
  • Electron-Impact Ionization Cross Sections (on physics web site)
  • Computational Chemistry Comparison and Benchmark Database
  • Gas Phase Kinetics Database
  • X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Database, version 5.0
• Options:
  • Switch to SI units

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Gas phase thermochemistry data

Go To: Top, IR Spectrum, Mass spectrum (electron ionization), Gas Chromatography, References, Notes

Data compilation copyright by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Data compiled as indicated in comments:
ALS - Hussein Y. Afeefy, Joel F. Liebman, and Stephen E. Stein
GT - Glushko Thermocenter, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

Constant pressure heat capacity of gas

Gas Phase Heat Capacity (Shomate Equation)

C_p° = A + B*t + C*t² + D*t³ + E/t²
H° − H°_298.15= A*t + B*t²/2 + C*t³/3 + D*t⁴/4 − E/t + F − H
S° = A*ln(t) + B*t + C*t²/2 + D*t³/3 − E/(2*t²) + G
    C_p = heat capacity (cal/mol*K)
    H° = standard enthalpy (kcal/mol)
    S° = standard entropy (cal/mol*K)
    t = temperature (K) / 1000.

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IR Spectrum

Go To: Top, Gas phase thermochemistry data, Mass spectrum (electron ionization), Gas Chromatography, References, Notes

Data compiled by: Coblentz Society, Inc.

• GAS (HEATING PARAFORMALDEHYDE; CONCENTRATION UNKNOWN); PERKIN-ELMER 297; DIGITIZED BY NIST FROM HARD COPY (FROM TWO SEGMENTS); 4 cm^-1 resolution
• SOLUTION (UNKNOWN CONCENTRATION IN CCl4) VS. CCl4; PERKIN-ELMER 297; DIGITIZED BY NIST FROM HARD COPY (FROM TWO SEGMENTS); 4 cm^-1 resolution

Mass spectrum (electron ionization)

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Data compilation copyright by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Data compiled by: NIST Mass Spectrometry Data Center, William E. Wallace, director

Spectrum

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Additional Data

Gas Chromatography

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Data compilation copyright by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Data compiled by: NIST Mass Spectrometry Data Center, William E. Wallace, director

Kovats' RI, non-polar column, isothermal

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Normal alkane RI, non-polar column, temperature ramp

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Normal alkane RI, non-polar column, custom temperature program

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References

Go To: Top, Gas phase thermochemistry data, IR Spectrum, Mass spectrum (electron ionization), Gas Chromatography, Notes

Data compilation copyright by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce on behalf of the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Chase, 1998
Chase, M.W., Jr., NIST-JANAF Themochemical Tables, Fourth Edition, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, Monograph 9, 1998, 1-1951. [all data]

Fletcher and Pilcher, 1970
Fletcher, R.A.; Pilcher, G., Measurements of heats of combustion by flame calorimetry, Trans. Faraday Soc., 1970, 66, 794-799. [all data]

Wartenberg and Lerner-Steinberg, 1925
Wartenberg, H.; Lerner-Steinberg, Heat of formation of formaldehyde, Z. Angew. Chem., 1925, 38, 591-592. [all data]

Thermodynamics Research Center, 1997
Thermodynamics Research Center, Selected Values of Properties of Chemical Compounds., Thermodynamics Research Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, 1997. [all data]

Thompson, 1941
Thompson, H.W., Thermodynamic functions and equilibria of formaldehyde, deuteroformaldehyde, phosgene and thiophosgene, Trans. Faraday Soc., 1941, 37, 251-260. [all data]

Pillai M.G.K., 1961
Pillai M.G.K., Potential energy constants, rotational distortion constants, and calculated thermodynamic properties for some planar XYZ2 molecules, J. Mol. Spectrosc., 1961, 6, 465-471. [all data]

Gurvich, Veyts, et al., 1989
Gurvich, L.V.; Veyts, I.V.; Alcock, C.B., Thermodynamic Properties of Individual Substances, 4th ed.; Vols. 1 and 2, Hemisphere, New York, 1989. [all data]

Chao J., 1980
Chao J., Perfect gas thermodynamic properties of methanal, ethanal and their deuterated species, Thermochim. Acta, 1980, 41, 41-54. [all data]

Chao J., 1986
Chao J., Thermodynamic properties of key organic oxygen compounds in the carbon range C1 to C4. Part 2. Ideal gas properties, J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data, 1986, 15, 1369-1436. [all data]

Goebel, 1982
Goebel, K.-J., Gaschromatographische Identifizierung Niedrig Siedender Substanzen Mittels Retentionsindices und Rechnerhilfe, J. Chromatogr., 1982, 235, 1, 119-127, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9673(00)95793-5 . [all data]

Haken, Nguyen, et al., 1979
Haken, J.K.; Nguyen, A.; Wainwright, M.S., Application of linear extrathermodynamic relationships to alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, amd ethoxy alcohols, J. Chromatogr., 1979, 179, 1, 75-85, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9673(00)80658-5 . [all data]

Bogoslovsky, Anvaer, et al., 1978
Bogoslovsky, Yu.N.; Anvaer, B.I.; Vigdergauz, M.S., Chromatographic constants in gas chromatography (in Russian), Standards Publ. House, Moscow, 1978, 192. [all data]

Zenkevich, 2005
Zenkevich, I.G., Experimentally measured retention indices., 2005. [all data]

Flanagan, Streete, et al., 1997
Flanagan, R.J.; Streete, P.J.; Ramsey, J.D., Volatile Substance Abuse, UNODC Technical Series, No 5, United Nations, Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna International Centre, PO Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria, 1997, 56, retrieved from http://www.odccp.org/pdf/technical_series₁997-01-01₁.pdf. [all data]

Strete, Ruprah, et al., 1992
Strete, P.J.; Ruprah, M.; Ramsey, J.D.; Flanagan, R.J., Detection and identification of volatile substances by headspace capillary gas chromatography to aid the diagnosis of acute poisoning, Analyst, 1992, 117, 7, 1111-1127, https://doi.org/10.1039/an9921701111 . [all data]

Notes

Go To: Top, Gas phase thermochemistry data, IR Spectrum, Mass spectrum (electron ionization), Gas Chromatography, References

• Symbols used in this document:
  

  Cp,gas	Constant pressure heat capacity of gas
  S°gas,1 bar	Entropy of gas at standard conditions (1 bar)
  ΔcH°gas	Enthalpy of combustion of gas at standard conditions
  ΔfH°gas	Enthalpy of formation of gas at standard conditions

• Data from NIST Standard Reference Database 69: NIST Chemistry WebBook
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