furfural

American  

[fur-fyuh-ral, -fuh-] / ˈfɜr fyəˌræl, -fə- /

noun

1. a colorless, oily liquid, C 5 H 4 O 2 , having an aromatic odor, obtained from bran, sugar, wood, corncobs, or the like, by distillation: used chiefly in the manufacture of plastics and as a solvent in the refining of lubricating oils.

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furfural Scientific  

/ fûr′fə-răl′ /

1. A colorless, sweet-smelling, liquid made from corncobs and used as a solvent in petroleum refining and as a fungicide and weed killer. It turns reddish brown when exposed to air and light. Furfural is an aldehyde of furan. Chemical formula: C ₅ H ₄ O ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of furfural

1875–80; < Latin furfur bran + -al ³

Example Sentences

If a book smells chocolatey, it’s likely that it is releasing vanillin, benzaldehyde and furfural – three chemicals associated with the degradation of the cellulose and lignin in paper.

From The Guardian • Apr. 7, 2017

In fact, says Strlič, the smell is due to the release of chemicals such as furfural and hexanol as the paper itself decays.

From The Guardian • Apr. 7, 2017

Three big uses for furfural are in plastics, in refining lubricating oils, in purification of wood rosin.

From Time Magazine Archive

Furfural may also be produced from such things as corncobs, sunflower seeds and old leaves, but oat hulls are available in large quantities at convenient places and the furfural yield is high.

From Time Magazine Archive

The residues were found to yield considerable proportions of furfural.

From Researches on Cellulose 1895-1900 by Cross, C. F.