Adipate is an ionic compound formed from a reaction between adipic acid and a base. It has various forms and uses, including as plastic additives and food additives. Adipic acid is a white powder belonging to dicarboxylic acid, and is used as an acidity regulator in food. DEHA and DOA are plasticizers used in various products. DEHA was once considered toxic, but has since been removed from the EPA’s list of toxic chemicals. DOA is an ester of adipic acid and is used in plastic food wraps, antiperspirants, and lubricants.
Adipate is the salt product of a reaction between adipic acid and a basic or high pH compound. A salt, in the chemical sense rather than in the meaning of table salt, is an ionic compound with no net charge that forms when an acid reacts with a base. An ionic compound occurs when a positively charged ion bonds with a negatively charged ion. There are different forms of adipate with different compositions and uses. Examples include the plastic additives Bis(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (DEHA) and dioctyl adipate (DOA), and the food additives potassium adipate and sodium adipate.
Adipic acid, from which adipate is derived, takes the form of a white powder that is typically manufactured rather than found in nature. Chemically, adipic acid belongs to the class of dicarboxylic acids, organic compounds that have two functional groups of carboxylic acid. A compound is organic if it contains carbon. The chemical formula of adipic acid is (CH2)4(CO2H)2. As an acid, when added to water, it releases hydrogen ions, or charged hydrogen atoms, into the solution, giving it a lower pH and sour taste.
In its capacity as a food additive, adipate acts as an acidity regulator or pH control agent. An acidity regulator is added to alter the acidity or basicity of a food. Each acidity regulator has an E number. Potassium adipate, which is the potassium salt formed by a reaction of adipic acid, has the E number “E357” and sodium adipate, which is the sodium salt deriving from a reaction of adipic acid with a base, it has the E number “E356”. These compounds impart a sour taste to foods and can be used as a gelling agent.
DEHA is a plasticizer used in aircraft lubricants, plastic food wrappers and hydraulic fluids. Hydraulic fluids are liquids that transmit power in hydraulic machinery such as a car’s steering system. A plasticizer is a compound that, when added, makes a substance more malleable. DEHA was once on the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list of toxic chemicals due to a belief that DEHA was a possible human carcinogen or carcinogen. Although tests in mice showed carcinogenicity, other tests raised questions about whether the compound could cause cancer in humans, prompting the EPA to remove DEHA from its list of toxic chemicals.
Dioctyl adipate, often confused with DEHA, is also a plasticizer. DOA is a pale to clear oily fluid often used as an ingredient in plastic food wraps, antiperspirants, and lubricants. This compound remains flexible in cold conditions, holds up fairly well in heat, holds up fairly well in weathering, and has a low viscosity. Chemically, DOA is an ester of adipic acid, implying that adipic acid has been reacted with an alcoholic compound to form DOA. Its formula is C22H42O4.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
