Glyoxal is used to crosslink starch-based formulas in textile finishes and in coated paper. It's also used in textile production, leather tanning, cosmetics, epoxy, oil and gas industries and disinfection. Glyoxylic acid has industrial uses including the curing of wood and wood hardening.

Application

Coated paper and textile finishes use large amounts of glyoxal as a crosslinker for starch-based formulations. It condenses with urea to afford 4,5-dihydroxy-2-imidazolidinone, which further reacts with formaldehyde to give the bis(hydroxymethyl) derivative dimethylol ethylene urea, which is used for wrinkle-resistant chemical