Paraformaldehyde (PFA) is the smallest polyoxymethylene, the polymerization product of formaldehyde with a typical degree of polymerization of 8–100 units. Paraformaldehyde commonly has a slight odor of formaldehyde due to decomposition. Paraformaldehyde is a poly-acetal.

Paraformaldehyde is used as a fumigant, a disinfectant and in the manufacture of synthetic resins like melamine resin, phenol resin and polyacetal resin. It is also used in cell culture. It also serves as a fixative in electron microscopy. It is also used in the preparation of formalin fixatives for tissues or cells. To use the chemical as a fixative, it must be converted to the monomer formaldehyde by heating as formaldehyde is the active chemical in fixation.