Formic Acid 85% Manufacturer,Supplier and Exporter in India

Formic Acid 85% (Product Code: SCL-855/171) is methanoic acid at the 85% strength given in its name, a corrosive liquid used in organic chemistry practicals to test carboxylic acids and to show reducing behaviour in school and college laboratories. As the first member of the carboxylic acid series it also reduces Tollens’ reagent, and it is packed in a 500 ml analytical reagent bottle with an MSDS. It is supplied by Jain Scientific Equipments Pvt Ltd (ScienceLab), Ambala, India, a lab chemicals supplier in India.

Specifications

What Is Formic Acid 85% Used For?

The functional group practical often asks students to prove that a sample is a carboxylic acid and then to show why formic acid stands apart from the rest. Added to sodium bicarbonate solution it fizzes and releases carbon dioxide like any carboxylic acid. Warmed with Tollens' reagent it produces a silver mirror, and a few drops decolourise acidified potassium permanganate – results that acetic acid does not give, because formic acid still carries a hydrogen atom on its carbonyl carbon, the aldehyde-like feature that makes it a reducing agent.

Teachers also use it to link chemistry with everyday biology, since part of the sting of ants and nettles comes from formic acid. Pour it only in a fume cupboard while wearing gloves and goggles, as the liquid burns skin and the vapour is sharply irritating. Keep the bottle upright in a chemistry reagent cabinet reserved for acids, well away from bases and oxidising agents.

Supplier

Formic Acid 85% is supplied by Jain Scientific Equipments Private Limited, known to its customers as ScienceLab. From its base in Ambala, Haryana, the company sources teaching-laboratory chemicals and supplies them, together with the apparatus they are used in, to schools, colleges and dealers in India and international markets. Our company profile gives more detail.

Related Chemistry Lab Products

These items are used alongside formic acid in the carboxylic acid tests and for storing it safely:

• Sodium Bicarbonate — the effervescence test that confirms a carboxylic acid.
• Tollens Reagent — reveals the reducing property that sets formic acid apart.
• Potassium Permanganate — its acidified solution is decolourised by formic acid.
• Glacial Acetic Acid — the comparison acid that fails both reducing tests.
• Acid Storage Cabinet Vertical — dedicated storage that keeps corrosive acid bottles apart from other chemicals.

See the Chemistry Lab category for more organic reagents and glassware.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the 85% in Formic Acid 85% refer to?
The 85% in Formic Acid 85% is the strength of formic acid in the liquid; the balance is essentially water. If your procedure needs a weaker solution, dilute it by adding the acid slowly to water, never the reverse.

Why does Formic Acid 85% reduce Tollens’ reagent when acetic acid does not?
Formic Acid 85% reduces Tollens’ reagent because the formic acid molecule has a hydrogen atom attached directly to its carbonyl group, giving it aldehyde-like character. Acetic acid has a methyl group in that position and is not oxidised under the same conditions.

How should Formic Acid 85% be stored?
Store Formic Acid 85% upright, tightly closed and in a cool acid cabinet away from bases and oxidising agents. Concentrated formic acid can build up slight pressure on standing, so loosen the cap gradually with the neck pointing away from you.

What is the shelf life of Formic Acid 85%?
The shelf life of Formic Acid 85% depends on the chemical, its grade and storage conditions, so no fixed period is quoted on this page. Ask us for the expiry date of the batch you are quoted when you request pricing through the contact page.

Is Formic Acid 85% suitable for students to use?
Students can use a few drops of Formic Acid 85% in test tubes under supervision for the bicarbonate, Tollens’ and permanganate tests. Dispensing from the 500 ml bottle should be done by staff wearing gloves and goggles, inside a fume cupboard.

Who supplies Formic Acid 85% (SCL-855/171)?
Formic Acid 85% (SCL-855/171) is supplied by Jain Scientific Equipments Pvt Ltd, trading as ScienceLab, Ambala, Haryana, India. The company provides organic reagents and laboratory glassware to schools, colleges, universities and dealers in India and international markets.

Do you ship Formic Acid 85% outside India?
Formic Acid 85% is a corrosive liquid under transport rules, so export orders are packed and routed accordingly and feasibility is confirmed per country. Share your destination and quantity in the enquiry so we can check the options before quoting.

Request a Quote

Need Formic Acid 85% (SCL-855/171) for your lab? Send your quantity through the contact page or add it to the enquiry cart, and we will reply with a quotation. Orders are accepted from India and international markets.

Last updated: 24 September 2026