itaconic acid

itaconic acid [it-uh-kon-ik] Word Origin noun Chemistry.

1. a colorless crystalline compound, C5H6O4, obtained by fermentation, soluble in water, alcohol, and acetone: used as an intermediate in the formation of fibers, resins, etc.

Origin of itaconic acid 1860–65; rearrangement of the letters of aconitic acid, orig. extracted from aconite British Dictionary definitions for itaconic acid itaconic acid noun

1. a white colourless crystalline carboxylic acid obtained by the fermentation of carbohydrates and used in the manufacture of synthetic resins. Formula: CH 2 :C(COOH)CH 2 COOH