Tannic aci, a commercial form of tannin, is a polyphenol. Its weak acidity (pKa around 10) is due to these phenol groups in the structure. Tannic acid is a basic ingredient in the chemical staining of wood. The tannic acid or tannin is already present in woods like oak, walnut, and mahogany. Tannic acid can be applied to woods low in tannin so chemical stains that require tannin content will react.