furfural
- n a liquid aldehyde with a penetrating odor; made from plant hulls and corncobs; used in making furan and as a solvent
- Furfural may also be produced from such things as corncobs, sunflower seeds and old leaves, but oat hulls are available in large quantities at convenient places and the furfural .
- Because of a shortage of corncobs,which are needed to make furfural (a chemical compound) for defense products ranging from synthetic rubber to nylon, OPS junked cob controls last .
- Object: to make one of nylon's basic ingredients (adipontrile) from a chemical (furfural) obtained from corncobs and oat hulls.