Facts about Formaldehyde

Though first discovered by A. M. Butlerov in 1859 it wasn’t formally identified until 1968 at the University of Berlin by Professor A.W. Hoffman

Formaldehyde is a naturally occurring organic compound; composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules, its chemical formula is CH2O

When found naturally formaldehyde is a colourless gas, however, commercially it is distributed in liquid form as formalin

Scrap wood can be broken down into wood chips and used to make furniture thanks to formaldehyde-based glues

Formaldehyde’s intrinsic anti-bacterial and preservative properties make it ideal for use in some vaccines

Formaldehyde is present in all organic life forms but it does not accumulate; It is broken down by sunlight in the air, and by bacteria in soil and water

Scientific discoveries suggest that formaldehyde was one of the first substances in the universe

The first plastic used on an industrial scale was phenolic resin a combination of phenol and formaldehyde