Physically, it is mostly white, orthorhombic or bipyramidal crystals at room temperature (it can also be needle-like or granular), with a slightly pungent odor. It is stable and not easily deliquescent, but sensitive to moisture. In terms of solubility, it is insoluble in water and ether, but soluble in solvents such as chloroform, ethanol, and carbon tetrachloride. It hydrolyzes slowly in cold water but rapidly in hot water to form succinic acid.

Chemically, it is highly reactive, undergoing addition and condensation reactions with many compounds. It is also acidic, reacting with bases to form corresponding salts. It is incompatible with oxidizing agents, strong acids, strong bases, alcohols, and amines, and contact should be avoided.

As a multifunctional basic chemical raw material, it has a wide range of applications: in the pharmaceutical field, it is an important intermediate for the synthesis of antibiotics, vitamins, sedatives, erythromycin ethylsuccinate, and other drugs; in the pesticide field, it is used to prepare insecticides, herbicides, and plant growth regulators; in the food industry, it can be used to produce acidity regulators, flavor enhancers, thickeners, and even preservatives; in the materials and chemical fields, it can modify alkyd resins to improve coating performance, and it is also a raw material for biodegradable materials (such as PBS), ion exchange resins, and glass fiber reinforced plastics. It can also be used in dye synthesis, lubricant additives, textile auxiliaries, etc.