Kemira actively develops new applications for formic acid, especially for the feed, chemical, and leather industries. „The main target of the development work is either to replace more harmful products with a formic acid based product, or to improve the customer process,” tells Marjo Luoma, Director, Formate product line. „A good example of our newest products is Tanfor A which improves the efficiency of the soy bean oil epoxidation process. Lowering the environmental load of the formic acid production is crucial for Kemira. “We are developing processes which use renewable biomass based raw materials for formic acid production,” says Luoma. „Formic acid is a simple organic acid which is chemically the same naturally degradable acid that red ants have produced in the nature for already millions of years.”