Acetic Acid and It’s 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.
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. Apart from being used in food applications, vinegar is also commonly used for cleaning and removal of stains, and for whitening of shirts.
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.
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.
Due to the development of manufacturing hubs in several countries across Asia-Pacific and South-East Asia, the market for acetic acid is expected to experience above-average growth while growth in North American and European markets is expected to experience a slowdown in growth for acetic acid demand as key manufacturers shift their operations to low-cost economies in the Asia-Pacific region.
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.
One way it can be synthesized chemically is via the methanol carbonylation process. In this process, methanol and carbon monoxide are reacted to produce it, using two common processes: the rhodium-catalyzed Monsanto Process, and the iridium-catalyzed Cativa process. The latter process was developed by British Petroleum (BP) and is more efficient and widely used today in the manufacturing of acetic acid.
Another way it can be synthesized chemically is via ethylene oxidation. Using the Wacker process, acetaldehyde is first produced from ethylene before being oxidized to form acetic acid. Depending on the local price of ethylene, this process could be competitive with methanol carbonylation, especially for smaller plants. Thus, while methanol carbonylation remains the most widely used process, smaller acetic acid suppliers might choose to switch to ethylene oxidation.
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.
