Ferrous lactate, or iron(II) lactate, is

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

with idealized formula (H₂O)_n. No compound has been characterized to establish composition, purity, or structure.

Production

Iron(II) lactate can be produced through several reactions, among which are

calcium lactate Calcium lactate is a white crystalline salt with formula , consisting of two lactate anions (CHOH) for each calcium cation . It forms several hydrates, the most common being the pentahydrate ·5. Calcium lactate is used in medicine, mainly to ...

with

iron(II) sulfate Iron(II) sulfate (British English: iron(II) sulphate) or ferrous sulfate denotes a range of salts with the formula Fe SO4·''x''H2O. These compounds exist most commonly as the heptahydrate (''x'' = 7) but several values for x are know ...

according to the following reaction: ::Ca(C3H5O3)2(aq) + FeSO4(aq)->CaSO4v + Fe(C3H5O3)2(aq) Another route yielding iron(II) lactate is to combine

lactic acid Lactic acid is an organic acid. It has a molecular formula . It is white in the solid state and it is miscible with water. When in the dissolved state, it forms a colorless solution. Production includes both artificial synthesis as well as nat ...

with calcium carbonate and

Uses

Iron (II) lactate is used as a reagent in the production of

proton-exchange membrane fuel cell Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), also known as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, are a type of fuel cell being developed mainly for transport applications, as well as for stationary fuel-cell applications and portable ...

s (PEMFCs), specifically in the production of cathode catalytic converters used in these cells. It is an acidity regulator and, since it oxidizes on contact with air, it has found use as a color retention agent for foodstuffs such as olives. It is also used to fortify foods with iron, as a remedy for anemia due to iron deficiency, and as a nutritional supplement in tablet or pill form. As a food additive it is coded under the E number E585.

References

Food additives Iron(II) compounds E-number additives Lactates {{organic-compound-stub