Butyraldehyde

/ˌbjuːtərˈældɪhaɪd/ noun

Definition

A colorless liquid chemical compound with four carbon atoms, used to make plastics, resins, and other industrial chemicals.

Etymology

From butyric acid (butyrum + -ic) + aldehyde (from aldehyde, a class of organic compounds). The name reflects the chemical relationship to butyric acid.

Kelly Says

Butyraldehyde is one of those industrial chemicals that shaped the modern world—without it, we wouldn't have safety glass in cars or many of the durable plastics that made 20th-century technology possible.

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