Citric Acid Structure and Uses

1. CITRIC ACID
Structure and Uses
By: Dr. Vivek Gupta, Associate Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely
Professional University
Disclaimer: Only for educational Purpose

2. Citric Acid
Lemons, oranges, limes, and other citrus fruits possess
high concentrations of citric acid

3. Structure

4. Use No. 1: Because it is one of the stronger edible acids, the dominant
use of citric acid is as a flavoring and preservative in food and beverages,
especially soft drinks and candies.

5. Use No. 2: Citric acid is an excellent chelating agent, binding metals by making them
soluble. It is used to remove and discourage the buildup of limescale from boilers and
evaporators. It can be used to treat water, which makes it useful in improving the
effectiveness of soaps and laundry detergents. By chelating the metals in hard water, it
lets these cleaners produce foam and work better without need for water softening.
Citric acid is the active ingredient in some bathroom and kitchen cleaning solutions.

6. Use No.3: Citric acid is widely used as an acidulant in creams, gels, and liquids of all
kinds. In its use in foods and dietary supplements, it may be classified as a processing
aid if the purpose it was added was for a technical or functional effect (e.g. acidulent,
chelator, viscosifier, etc...) for a process.

7. Use No. 4: Citric acid is an alpha hydroxy acid and used as an active
ingredient in chemical peels.

8. Interesting videos on Citric acid
◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMtayizdFiw (Extraction of Citric Acid)
◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlvE5BtVx6o (Production of Citric Acid)

9. Innovative Slide of Summary (to be written by student)

10. Thanks!