Formic acid (methanoic acid) is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor at room temperature, miscible with water, ethanol, and ether. As the simplest carboxylic acid, its chemical properties combine acidity (stronger than acetic acid) and aldehyde‑like reducing ability: it can undergo typical esterification to form formate esters, and more characteristically, it can be oxidized by strong oxidizing agents (such as potassium permanganate) to carbon dioxide and water, and can also be dehydrated in the presence of a dehydrating agent to yield carbon monoxide. Based on these characteristics, the primary uses of formic acid include: serving as an acidifying agent and reducing agent in the deliming and tanning of leather and in textile dyeing; acting as a preservative additive for silage; being employed as a coagulant for natural latex in the rubber industry; and serving as an organic synthesis intermediate in the production of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and fragrances.