| abstract |
Anhydrous or substantially anhydrous formic acid is prepared by hydrolyzing methyl formate in the presence of a formamide and then obtaining the formic acid from the hydrolysis mixture by distillation, by a method in which the hydrolysis is carried out in the presence of 0.5-3 moles, per mole of methyl formate, of a water-soluble formamide of the general formula I ##STR1## where R 1 and R 2 are each alkyl or together form an alkylene group, giving a 5-membered to 7-membered ring, with the proviso that the sum of the carbon atoms in R 1 and R 2 is 5 or 6 and, in the case of an alkylene group, a carbon atom which is not directly bonded to the N atom can be replaced by an oxygen atom. |