1,3,5-Trioxane
1,3,5-Trioxane, sometimes also called trioxane, is a chemical compound with molecular formula C3H6O3. It is a white, highly water-soluble solid with a chloroform-like odor. It is a stable cyclic trimer of formaldehyde, and one of the three trioxane isomers; its molecular backbone consists of a six-membered ring with three carbon atoms alternating with three oxygen atoms.
Production
Trioxane can be obtained by the acid-catalyzed cyclic trimerization of formaldehyde in concentrated aqueous solution.[1]
Uses
Trioxane can be used interchangeably with formaldehyde and with paraformaldehyde,[2][3] however the cyclic structure is more stable and it can require high temperatures in order to react. It is a precursor for the production of polyoxymethylene plastics, of which about one million tons per year are produced.[1] Other applications exploit its tendency to release formaldehyde. As such it is used as a binder in textiles, wood products, etc. Trioxane is combined with hexamine and compressed into solid bars to make hexamine fuel tablets, used by the military and outdoorsmen as a cooking fuel.
In the laboratory, trioxane is used as an anhydrous source of formaldehyde.[4]