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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #145694
Title: Aqueous Solubility, Polymorphism, and Pseudopolymorphism of Meso-1,2,3,4-Butanetetracarboxylic Acid

Author
item MORRIS, CLETUS - COLLABORATOR, SRRC
item TRASK-MORRELL, BRENDA - RETIRED, SRRC
item MORRIS, NANCY - COLLABORATOR, SRRC
item Batiste, Sarah

Submitted to: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/2004
Publication Date: 9/7/2004
Citation: Morris, C.E., Trask-Morrell, B.J., Morris, N.M., Batiste, S.L. 2004. Aqueous Solubility, Polymorphism, and Pseudopolymorphism of Meso-1,2,3,4-Butanetetracarboxylic Acid. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. 43:5347-5349.

Interpretive Summary: 1,2,3,4-Butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) has evoked widespread interest in the textile industry as a non-formaldehyde agent for producing cotton fabrics with smooth-drying properties. Data on BTCA's solubility in water are needed because concentrated solutions of it are desirable both as a form in which it can be marketed and for application to fabric. This paper reports that solid BTCA can exist in several different crystal forms, but that the most stable form has a solubility in water of only 7.0%. Hence,, more concentrated BTCA solutions eventually deposit crystals until they reach this concentration. This information can be used by industrial producers and users of concentrated BTCA solutions to understand and avoid the formation of sediment in such solutions.

Technical Abstract: The solubility of meso-1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) in water and the nature of the solid phases in BTCA-water mixtures were studied. The form of BTCA that was isolated after crystallizing from a saturated aqueous solution and remaining in contact with the solution for over four years was BTCA.H2O. At 25°C a saturated aqueous solution of this product contained 6.99% BTCA. Other hydrates of BTCA were isolated after equilibration of BTCA with water at 25°C for 1 h to 36 d. Thermal analysis identified these products as BTCA.2H2O after 1 h, BTCA.4H2O or BTCA.2H2O after 5 h, and BTCA.H2O after 15 d and 36 d. The BTCA concentration in the liquid phase decreased from 18.67% after 5 h to 10.32% after 36 d. A saturated solution of BTCA.2H2O contained 18.38% BTCA. Several thermograms for BTCA.H2O or BTCA.2H2O contained endothermic peaks that are attributed to transitions between forms of anhydrous BTCA.