Citric Acid

Citric acid is a weak organic tricarboxylic acid having the chemical formula C6H8O7. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in the metabolism of all aerobic organisms.

More than a million tons of citric acid are manufactured every year. It is used widely as an acidifier, as a flavoring and chelating agent.

A citrate is a derivative of citric acid; that is, the salts, esters, and the polyatomic anion found in solution. An example of the former, a salt is trisodium citrate; an ester is triethyl citrate. When part of a salt, the formula of the citrate ion is written as C6H5O73− or C3H5O(COO)33−.

Parameter Value

CAS Number

77-92-9 

Chemical formula

C6H8O7

Molar mass

192.12 g·mol−1

Appearance

crystalline white solid

Odor

odorless

Density

1.665 g/cm3 (anhydrous)
1.542 g/cm3 (18 °C, monohydrate)

Melting point

156 °C (313 °F; 429 K)

Boiling point

310 °C (590 °F; 583 K) decomposes from 175 °C[1]

Solubility in water

117.43 g/100 mL (10 °C)
147.76 g/100 mL (20 °C)
180.89 g/100 mL (30 °C)
220.19 g/100 mL (40 °C)
382.48 g/100 mL (80 °C)
547.79 g/100 mL (100 °C)

Solubility

soluble in alcohol, ether, ethyl acetate, DMSO
insoluble in C6H6, CHCl3, CS2, toluene

Chemical formula

C6H8O7

Molar mass

192.12 g·mol−1

Appearance

crystalline white solid

Odor

odorless

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