1,3,5-Trioxane

1,3,5-Trioxane
IUPAC name	1,3,5-Trioxane
Other names	s-Trioxane 1,3,5-Trioxacyclohexane Trioxymethylene Metaformaldehye Trioxin
Identifiers
CAS number	110-88-3
RTECS number	YK0350000
SMILES	C1OCOCO1
Properties
Molecular formula	C3H6O3
Molar mass	90.08 g/mol
Appearance	white crystalline solid
Density	1.17 g/cm³ (65 °C)
Melting point	64 °C
Boiling point	114.5 °C
Solubility in water	17.2 g/100 ml (18 °C)
Hazards
NFPA 704	2 2 0
R-phrases	22
S-phrases	24/25
Flash point	45 °C
Related Compounds
Related compounds	Formaldehyde 1,2,4-Trioxane Polyoxymethylene
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references

1,3,5-Trioxane is a stable cyclic trimer of formaldehyde with a chloroform-like odor. Being a trioxane, it has the molecular formula C₃H₆O₃ and consists of a six membered ring with three carbon atoms and three oxygen atoms.

Uses

In chemistry, it is used as a stable, easily handled source of anhydrous formaldehyde. In acidic solutions, it decomposes to generate three molecules of formaldehyde. It may also be used in polymerization to form acetal resins, such as polyoxymethylene. When combined with hexamine and compressed into solid bars, it is used by the military and outdoorsmen as a cooking fuel similar to Esbit. 1,3,5-Trioxane is a mortician's restorative chemical that repairs cells and maintains the corpse's contours after postmortem tissue constriction. Trioxane is also occasionally known by the synonym trioxin, sometimes mistaken for the fictional 2,4,5-trioxin.

Derivatives

The only possible mono-bromo derivative of trioxane is C₃H₅BrO₃.

References