White or nearly white, crystalline powder or granules having a
strongly acid taste. One g dissolves in 0.8 mL of water and in
1.4 mL of alcohol. Its solutions are optically inactive. It melts at
about 130°.
DL-malic acid is primarily used in the food and beverage industry.
DL-Malic acid is used as a food additive. It is a component of some artificial vinegar flavors. Further, it is used in the preparation of chiral compounds, including κ-opioid rece. It is utilized for chiral resolution by ligand-exchange capillary electrophoresis.
ChEBI: Malic acid is a 2-hydroxydicarboxylic acid that is succinic acid in which one of the hydrogens attached to a carbon is replaced by a hydroxy group. It has a role as a food acidity regulator and a fundamental metabolite. It is a 2-hydroxydicarboxylic acid and a C4-dicarboxylic acid. It is functionally related to a succinic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a malate(2-) and a malate.
Flammability and Explosibility
Non flammable
Crystallise the acid from acetone, then from acetone/CCl4, or from ethyl acetate by adding pet ether (b 60-70o). Dry it at 35o under 1mm pressure to avoid formation of the anhydride. [Beilstein 3 IV 1124.]
