Product name: Lactic Acid
CAS: 50-21-5
Molecular formula: C3H6O3
Molecular weight: 90.08
Description: Lactic acid, also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various biochemical processes and was first isolated in 1780 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the chemical formula C3H6O3. It has a hydroxyl group adjacent to the carboxyl group, making it an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA).
In solution, it can lose a proton from the carboxyl group, producing the lactate ion CH3CH(OH)COO−. Compared to acetic acid, its pKa is 1 unit less, meaning lactic acid deprotonates ten times as easily as acetic acid does. This higher acidity is the consequence of the intramolecular hydrogen bridge between the α-hydroxyl and the carboxylate group, making the latter less capable of strongly attracting its proton.
Lactic acid is miscible with water or ethanol, and is hygroscopic.