Hexanoic acid (
caproic acid) is the
carboxylic acid derived from
hexane with the general formula C
5H
11COOH. It is a colorless oily
liquid with an odor that is fatty, cheesy, waxy, and like that of
goats or other barnyard
animals. It is a
fatty acid found naturally in various animal
fats and
oils, and is one of the
chemicals that give the decomposing fleshy seed coat of the
ginkgo its characteristic
unpleasant odor. It is also one of the components of
vanilla. The primary use of hexanoic acid is in the manufacture of its
esters for artificial flavors, and in the manufacture of hexyl
derivatives, such as
hexylphenols.