Organic acid presence of other substituents that affect the polarity of the compound. Simple organic acids like formic or acetic acids are used for oil and gas well stimulation treatments. These organic acids are much less reactive with metals than are strong mineral acids like hydrochloric acid (HCl) or mixtures of HCl and hydrofluoric acid (HF). For this reason, organic acids are used at high temperatures or when long contact times between acid and pipe are needed. The conjugate bases of organic acids such as citrate and lactate are often used in biologically-compatible buffer solutions. Citric and oxalic acids are used as
Dihydroxymalonic acid Dihydroxymalonic acid Dihydroxymalonic acid is an organic compound with formula CHO or HO-(C=O)-C(OH)-(C=O)-OH, found in some plants such as alfalfa and in beet molasses. The compound may also be called dihydroxymesoxalic acid, dihydroxypropanedioic acid. It can be viewed as a hydrate derivative of mesoxalic acid, and indeed it is often called mesoxalic acid monohydrate and other silmilar names. This compound is unusual in containing stable geminal hydroxy groups. Dihydroxymalonic acid is a water-soluble white solid. It crystallizes in deliquescent prisms that melt between 113 °C and 121 °C without loss of water. It has been used in medical research as