1. Disinfection and Sterilization: Paraformaldehyde is used as a disinfectant and sterilizing agent in various settings, including healthcare facilities, laboratories, and industrial environments.
2. Agriculture: It is used as a fumigant and preservative in agriculture to control pests, fungi, and bacteria in stored agricultural products and soil.
3. Production of Resins: Paraformaldehyde is a key raw material in the production of resins, such as phenol-formaldehyde and urea-formaldehyde resins, which are used in the manufacturing of wood products, adhesives, and coatings.
4. Chemical Synthesis: It is used as a source of formaldehyde in various chemical reactions and synthesis processes.
5. Biological Fixative: Paraformaldehyde is used as a fixative in biological specimen preparation for microscopy and other laboratory analyses.