phthalic anhydride

9.3

A white solid used to make plastics, dyes, and resins

noun
/ˈθælɪk ˈænhaɪdraɪd/

Specialized

: anhídrido ftálico

The production of flexible plastics often uses phthalic anhydride as a key intermediate.

Examples

The chemical plant increased output of phthalic anhydride to meet industrial demand.
Laboratory technicians handled phthalic anhydride with care due to its irritant properties.
The chemical formula for phthalic anhydride is C8H4O3.
Many manufacturers use phthalic anhydride in their production processes.
The chemical plant increased output of phthalic anhydride to meet industrial demand.
Laboratory technicians handled phthalic anhydride with care due to its irritant properties.
Many manufacturers use phthalic anhydride in their production processes.

Surface Forms

phthalic anhydride singular

phthalic anhydrides plural

Morphology

phthalic + anhydride

The phrase literally denotes 'the anhydride of phthalic (acid)' and is directly compositional: 'phthalic' specifies the parent acid and 'anhydride' names the dehydrated derivative. This follows regular chemical naming conventions, so a learner who knows the constituent words can deduce the meaning even though the term is domain-specific.

Etymology

Phthalic anhydride tells you what the chemical is: phthalic shows it comes from 'phthalic acid' and anhydride means 'without water'. So the name says it is the form of that acid after water is removed, which is why the term refers to the white compound used to make plastics and resins.