A colorless liquid chemical with a distinctive odor, also known as butyraldehyde, used in manufacturing plastics and other compounds.
From 'butyl' (four carbons) combined with '-al,' the suffix indicating an aldehyde functional group. Named systematically in the early 20th century by chemists.
Butanal has a sharp, unpleasant smell that's similar to old paint or rancid butter—the word 'butyric' originally came from Latin 'butyrum' (butter), because that molecule also contains a fatty acid.
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