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What is Butyric Acid? Properties, Uses, and Industrial Applications

Industry Insights 2026-09-14 11:23:16

What is Butyric Acid? Properties, Uses, and Industrial Applications

Butyric acid, the English name is Butyric Acid, the systematic name is Butanoic Acid (Butyric Acid / n-Butyric Acid), is an important short-chain fatty acid and also a common basic raw material in fine chemicals, animal nutrition, and various organic synthesis fields.

For chemical raw material importers, distributors, animal nutrition enterprises, and industrial buyers, understanding the basic properties, application fields, quality indicators, and supply capacity of butyric acid is an important basis for selecting suitable suppliers.

As an enterprise focusing on acid technology and the application of related products,ADDEASYsurrounding fine chemicals, animal nutrition, food additives, plant nutrition, and other fields, providing product and application support for B2B customers in different countries and regions.


What is Butyric Acid (Butyric Acid)?

Butyric acid is a saturated monocarboxylic acid with 4 carbon atoms, belonging to short-chain fatty acids (Short-Chain Fatty Acid, SCFA).

Its common English names include:

Butyric Acid
Butanoic Acid
n-Butyric Acid

Basic chemical information is as follows:

Item Information
Chinese name Butyric acid / n-Butyric acid
English name Butyric Acid
IUPAC name Butanoic Acid
Molecular formula C₄H₈O₂
CAS No. 107-92-6
Molecular weight 88.11
Appearance Usually a colorless to light-colored liquid
Chemical category Short-chain fatty acids / Carboxylic acids

Butyric acid has typical carboxylic acid chemical properties, so it can participate in esterification, neutralization, and various organic synthesis reactions.


What are the main properties of butyric acid?

The value of butyric acid in industrial applications largely comes from its active carboxyl structure.

1. Has typical organic acid properties

Butyric acid can undergo neutralization reactions with alkaline substances to form corresponding butyrates, such as sodium butyrate, calcium butyrate, etc.

These butyric acid derivatives have wide applications in animal nutrition and other industrial fields.

2. Can participate in esterification reactions

Butyric acid can undergo esterification reactions with different alcohols to form butyrates.

Some butyrates have a special aroma, so they can be used as intermediates in the flavor and fragrance and related chemical synthesis processes.

3. Belongs to short-chain fatty acids

Butyric Acid belongs to typical short-chain fatty acids, so it has high attention in animal nutrition, intestinal health, and related nutrition technology fields.


Where is butyric acid mainly used?

From the perspective of global industrial applications, Butyric Acid and its derivatives mainly involve the following fields:

1. Fine chemical industry

Butyric acid is an important fine chemical raw material and organic synthesis intermediate.

Can be used to produce a variety of:

Butyrate esters
Butyrates
Chemical intermediates
Raw materials related to flavors and fragrances
Other organic compounds

Therefore, for fine chemical production enterprises, the purity, stability and batch consistency of butyric acid are usually the key indicators to focus on when purchasing.


2. Animal nutrition and feed industry

Animal nutrition is one of the important application directions of Butyric Acid and butyric acid derivatives.

Butyric acid-related products can be applied to:

Animal nutrition formulas
Feed additive systems
Solutions related to intestinal health
Acidification products
Butyrate products
Compound organic acid products

Especially in the field of pig, poultry and other animal nutrition, butyric acid and its derivatives have always been a more concerned organic acid raw material.

The actual use forms may include free butyric acid, coated butyric acid, sodium butyrate, calcium butyrate and compound acid products. Specific selection should be made according to the application scenario and formula requirements.


3. Flavor and fragrance and food-related industries

Butyric acid can be used to synthesize various butyrates.

Some butyrates have fruit-like aromas, so they can be applied to the production of flavor, fragrance and related industries.

However, there are differences in the grades, specifications and regulatory requirements for food-related raw materials in different countries and regions.

When purchasing Butyric Acid for food-related uses, it should be confirmed:

Product grade
Purity requirements
Local regulations
Production qualification
COA
MSDS / SDS
Related compliance documents

In actual commercial procurement, it should be based on the regulations of the target market and the use of the final product.


4. Chemical synthesis intermediates

Butyric acid can also be used as an organic synthesis raw material to further prepare various compounds.

So, some chemical companies do not directly use butyric acid itself when purchasing Butyric Acid, but use it as a basic raw material for subsequent production.

For such customers, they usually pay more attention to:

Purity
Impurity control
Moisture
Color
Batch stability
Packaging method
Supply stability


What is the difference between butyric acid and sodium butyrate?

This is one of the questions frequently searched by global buyers.

**Butyric Acid (butyric acid)** belongs to free organic acids, while **Sodium Butyrate (sodium butyrate)** is a salt formed by butyric acid and sodium.

Although both belong to butyric acid-related products, their product forms, stabilities, application methods, and roles in specific formulations are not completely the same.

If applied in the field of animal nutrition, it should be based on:

Animal species
Feed system
Target application
Product form
Formulation Design
Production Process

Select appropriate butyric acid or butyrate products.

ADDEASY will also focus on the following:

Butyric Acid vs Sodium Butyrate

Conduct more detailed technical comparisons.


What indicators should be focused on when purchasing butyric acid?

For overseas B2B buyers, they cannot only compare the price of Butyric Acid.

More importantly, comprehensively evaluate product quality, supply capacity, and export service capacity.

Product Specifications

Before purchasing, the required product grade and technical indicators should be clarified.

Different industrial applications may have different requirements for the purity, impurities, and other indicators of Butyric Acid.

COA

COA (Certificate of Analysis) can help buyers understand the test results of specific batch products.

Before large-scale purchasing, it is recommended to confirm whether the supplier can provide the corresponding COA.

SDS / MSDS

Since butyric acid is a chemical product, standardized management is required according to its safety data during transportation, storage, and operation.

Therefore, international purchasing usually needs to confirm that the supplier can provide the English version of SDS/MSDS.

TDS

TDS (Technical Data Sheet) can help buyers further understand product specifications and related technical information.

Packaging

Requirements for product packaging may vary with different purchase quantities and transportation methods.

Before large-scale import, packaging specifications, container loading methods, and transportation conditions should be confirmed in advance.


How to choose a reliable Butyric Acid Supplier?

If you are searching on Google:

Butyric Acid Supplier

Butyric Acid Manufacturer

Butyric Acid Supplier China

Butanoic Acid Supplier

Buy Butyric Acid in Bulk

It is not recommended to simply choose a supplier based on the lowest quotation.

For international B2B procurement, the following should usually be comprehensively considered:

Whether product specifications meet requirements, batch stability, completeness of quality documents, export experience, packaging capacity, delivery cycle, and international logistics support capacity.

Stable supply is often more important than a single low price.


Why do global buyers choose Chinese butyric acid suppliers?

China has a complete chemical industry chain and a mature international trade and logistics system, so it is one of the important supply markets for global organic acids and fine chemical raw materials.

For importers and distributors from the following markets:

Southeast Asia

Indonesia
Vietnam
Thailand
Malaysia
Philippines

Middle East & Africa

UAE
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Nigeria
South Africa

Europe

Germany
Netherlands
Spain
Italy

Latin America

Brazil
Ecuador
Colombia
Peru
Mexico

In the search for Butyric Acid suppliers, the Chinese supply chain can usually provide relatively mature product supply, export documents and international logistics support.


ADDEASY Butyric Acid Supply

ADDEASY focuses on acid technology and related product applications, and its business covers:

Fine Chemicals

Animal Nutrition

Food Additives

Plant Nutrition

For the procurement needs of butyric acid and related products, we can further confirm product specifications, quantity, packaging, port of destination and related technical documents according to the actual use of customers.

If you need to obtain specific product information, you can provide the following procurement information to ADDEASY:

Product: Butyric Acid
Application: Industrial / Feed / Other
Required Specification:
Quantity:
Destination Country:
Destination Port:
Trade Term: FOB / CIF / CFR

This can make it faster to obtain targeted product and export solutions.


Butyric Acid Common Questions FAQ

What is Butyric Acid?

Butyric Acid, also known as Butanoic Acid, is a short-chain fatty acid with 4 carbon atoms, with the molecular formula C₄H₈O₂, and is widely used in fine chemicals, animal nutrition, organic synthesis and other fields.

What is Butyric Acid used for?

Butyric acid is mainly used in fine chemicals, animal nutrition, butyrate production, butyrate synthesis, flavors and fragrances, and other organic synthesis applications.

Is Butyric Acid the same as Butanoic Acid?

Yes.

Butyric Acid is the common name, and Butanoic Acid is its systematic chemical name, and the two usually refer to the same compound.

What is the CAS number of Butyric Acid?

Common CAS numbers of Butyric Acid are:

107-92-6

Is Butyric Acid used in animal feed?

Butyric acid and its derivatives are widely used in the field of animal nutrition.

According to the specific formula, free butyric acid, butyrates or other butyric acid-related products can be selected.

What documents should I request when buying Butyric Acid?

Usually, it is recommended to confirm during international procurement:

COA, SDS/MSDS, TDS, and quality or compliance documents related to the target use.

Where can I buy Butyric Acid in bulk?

For bulk purchases, you can look for Butyric Acid suppliers or manufacturers with stable supply capacity, quality management systems, and international export experience, and obtain specific quotations according to the purchase quantity, specifications, and port of destination.


Looking for a Butyric Acid supplier?

If you are looking for those from China:

Butyric Acid Supplier

Butyric Acid Manufacturer

Butanoic Acid Supplier

Bulk Butyric Acid

Or if you need to understand the specifications, packaging, COA, MSDS, TDS, and export solutions of butyric acid, you can contact ADDEASY to get further product information.

Please provide in the inquiry:

Purchase quantity + Product specifications + Application field + Country + Port of destination

Our team can provide more accurate product and supply solutions accordingly.

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