Acetic Acid and It’s Uses

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Acetic Acid and Its Uses
Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid is one
of the most commonly used carboxylic acids that
exist. When undiluted, it is also widely known as
glacial acetic acid. Acetic acid has a sour taste
and pungent odor.
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Household Uses of Acetic Acid
In household applications, it is commonly found
in vinegar, a food ingredient that is widely used
for various functions when cooking. Vinegar used
in household applications consists of diluted
acetic acid with a concentration of approximately
5 and is often produced via fermentation and
oxidation of ethanol.
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Industrial Uses of Acetic Acid
Industrially, it is used to produce vinyl
acetate, which is then subsequently used to
produce polyvinyl acetate, an important
ingredient used in paints and adhesives and
cellulose acetate, commonly used in photography
and film. It is also commonly used in the
production of esters for inks and coatings.
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Market for Acetic Acid
China is one of the largest acetic acid suppliers
in the world. However, due to the large demand
for acetic acid, China only exports limited
amounts of it. Some other major producers of this
chemical are Celanese, British Petroleum (BP),
Eastman Chemicals and Dupont.
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Production of Acetic Acid
Acetic Acid can be produced via chemical
synthesis or bacterial fermentation. While
chemical synthesis remains the predominant method
for its production, bacterial fermentation is
still commonly used as well due to strict
regulations regarding food-grade vinegar. It can
be synthesized chemically is via the methanol
carbonylation process.
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Biologically, acetic acid is synthesized using
the bacteria Acetobacter, an oxidative
fermentation process. In this process, the
bacteria can produce acetic acid if it is given
sufficient oxygen for fermentation. Acetobacter
is introduced into a dilute alcohol solution,
usually made up of ethanol and stored in a warm
and airy place which will become vinegar over
time. This vinegar is commonly used in household
applications as an ingredient. Today, vinegar is
commonly made using a submerged tank culture
whereby the alcohol is introduced into a
continuously stirred tank reactor. Oxygen is then
supplied continuously to the solution by bubbling
air. With this process, vinegar can be produced
in batch processes of only 24 hours.
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