Definition

• Benzoic acid is an aromatic carboxylic acid, known for having the simplest structure of any compound in that family. It is derived from benzene and also goes by the names carboxybenzene, benzene carboxylic acid and phenylformic acid.
  
  

Appearance

• In the pure, manufactured form, benzoic acid resembles a white substance in the form of small flakes and can easily be identified by its characteristic sharp odor. It melts at high temperatures, around 250 degrees Fahrenheit, and can dissolve partially in hot water.
  
  

Origins

• Many organisms contain at least traces of benzoic acid, although it is more commonly found in plants than in animals, since many plants synthesize it naturally. Its name comes from the gum benzoin tree, which grows in Asia and has a high concentration of the compound. In other plants it is found mostly in berries. Commercial benzoic acid, however, is usually produced via a chemical reaction that combines toluene with oxygen at high temperatures, using cobalt or magnesium salts as a catalyst. It can also be obtained by oxidizing benzene.
  
  

Uses

• Benzoic acid is used across a wide range of industries as a food preservative, especially in drinks like juice and carbonated beverages. As an acid, it proves dangerous to bacteria; its sodium salt form, sodium benzene, is also used for similar purposes. It is also used to manufacture various artificial flavors. Esters of benzene, a wider family, are used for many different solvent applications as well.
  
  

Structure

• Benzoic acid is known by the chemical formula C6H5COOH and is composed of seven carbon atoms, six hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. It is made from a carboxyl group bonded with a phenyl group, which forms a simple structure that differentiates benzoic acid from similar substances, which are often much longer chains of groups.