Uses of Acetic acid | Valco Group

Acetic acid, also known as ethanoic acid, is a versatile organic acid with a wide range of industrial, chemical, and household applications. We can notice several uses of acetic acid.

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10 Primary uses of acetic acid

1. Food Industry:
   • Acetic acid is used as a food additive in the form of vinegar, which is a dilute solution of acetic acid. It is commonly used for flavoring, preserving, and pickling foods.
   • It is also used in the production of various condiments, salad dressings, and marinades.
2. Chemical Manufacturing:
   • Acetic acid serves as a crucial precursor in the production of various chemicals, including acetic anhydride, acetate esters, and synthetic fibers like acetate and triacetate.
   • It is a key component in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, dyes, perfumes, and various other chemicals.
3. Textile Industry:
   • Acetic acid is used in the production of cellulose acetate, which is used to make fibers for textiles, photographic films, and various industrial products.
   • It is also used as a solvent in textile dyeing and finishing processes.
4. Plastics and Polymers:
   • Acetic acid is involved in the production of synthetic polymers, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyvinyl acetate (PVA).
   • It is used as a solvent in the manufacture of various resins and polymers.
5. Cleaning and Disinfection:
   • Acetic acid’s acidic properties make it effective as a cleaning agent and disinfectant. It is often used for cleaning windows, countertops, and surfaces in households and industrial settings.
   • It is a natural alternative to harsher chemicals and can be used for descaling kettles and coffee makers.
6. Laboratory Applications:
   • Acetic acid is commonly used in laboratories as a solvent, reagent, and pH regulator for various chemical reactions.
   • It is also used in histology and microscopy for tissue processing and staining.
7. Preservation and Pickling:
   • Acetic acid is used in the preservation and pickling of vegetables, fruits, and other food products, preventing spoilage and extending shelf life.
   • It imparts a sour taste to pickled foods.
8. pH Control in Water Treatment:
   • Acetic acid is used in water treatment processes to control pH levels and neutralize alkaline water.
9. Medicine and Pharmaceuticals:
   • Acetic acid can be found in various pharmaceutical formulations as an excipient or as a chemical reagent in drug synthesis.
10. Uses of acetic acid : Other Applications:
    • It is used in the production of acetate plastics, adhesives, and sealants.
    • Acetic acid can be used as a herbicide and weed killer in agriculture.

It’s important to note that acetic acid is a strong acid and should be handled with care. When used in industrial processes or as a cleaning agent, appropriate safety measures and protective equipment are necessary to ensure the safety of workers. Additionally, food-grade acetic acid is used in food applications to ensure it is safe for consumption.

Acetic acid is an organic acid and a byproduct of sugar fermentation. It’s also known by other names, including ethanoic acid, ethylic acid, and methane carboxylic acid.

Acetic acid is primarily produced by a group of Gram-negative bacteria called acetic acid bacteria (AAB). They produce acetic acid as metabolic waste from fermenting sugar or ethanol. Our bodies also make small amounts of acetic acid, which play an important role in metabolising carbs and fats.

Many people think acetic acid is vinegar itself. However, vinegar is actually just 4% to 6% acetic acid dissolved in water with other organic and inorganic impurities. Aside from its famous culinary uses, acetic acid in its pure form has many industrial applications. For example, it’s used to produce metal acetates, which are a pivotal part of the printing processes.

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Acetic acid explained

Acetic acid is chemically composed of two carbon, four hydrogen, and two oxygen atoms. Its chemical formula is commonly written as CH3COOH to indicate the functional groups, which are the methyl group (—CH3), hydroxyl group (—OH), and carbonyl group (C=O).

The carbon in the carbonyl group serves as the central carbon to which the functional groups are attached. See the illustration below, which shows the molecular structure of acetic acid.

Just like many other organic acids, acetic acid is classified as a weak acid. This is because it does not completely dissociate into ions when dissolved in water. When it’s in an aqueous solution, its ions separate into the negatively charged acetate ion (CH3COO–) and positively charged hydrogen ion (H+).

However, only four per 100 molecules of acetic acid dissociate into ions when dissolved in water. Hence, the dynamic equilibrium of the system is represented by this chemical equation:

CH3COOH(aq) + H2O(l)⇌ CH3COO–(aq)+ H3O+(aq)

Acetic acid is one of the simplest types of carboxylic acid, second only to formic acid. Industrially, it’s produced both through synthetic processes and bacterial fermentation. The bacterial fermentation process follows a metabolic pathway that produces acetic acid either from glucose or ethanol.

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Methanol carbonylation is the main method for the industrial production of acetic acid. Around 75% of the world’s acetic acid is made using this synthetic pathway, with just 10% produced through the organic biological method of fermentation. 

So how does it work? Methanol reacts with carbon monoxide using a catalyst, while iodomethane is an intermediate in the process.

Methanol carbonylation involves three steps, which include metal carbonyl as a catalyst of carbonylation.

• Step 1: CH3OH + HI → CH3I + H2O
• Step 2: CH3I + CO → CH3COI
• Step 3: CH3COI + H2O → CH3COOH + HI

What is the use of acetic acid?

Most of us are familiar with acetic acid as vinegar, which is mainly used as a preservative or flavouring in food preparation. Humans have been using vinegar for thousands of years, with the very first recorded use dating back to ancient Babylonians at around BCE.

Other uses of acetic acid include:

• Paints and adhesives production – acetic acid is used to make vinyl acid monomer, which can then be polymerised into polyvinyl acetate and used to manufacture paints and adhesives.
• Ester production – esters can be produced from the catalytic reactions between acetic acid and a corresponding alcohol. They have a wide range of industrial applications and are commonly used to manufacture inks, coatings, and paints. 
• Acetic anhydride – up to 30% of the world’s acetic acid supply is used to produce acetic anhydride, making it one of the main applications of acetic acid. Acetic anhydride is used to make other materials, such as cellulose acetate, a synthetic textile. It also acts as a precursor when manufacturing medicines such as aspirin and the illicit drug heroin.  
• Solvent – a great polar protic solvent, acetic acid is used as a solvent for the recrystallisation and purification of organic compounds.
• Medicine – acetic acid has been used as an antiseptic for thousands of years. It was also used to treat tumours in the s and is a good test agent for cervical cancer.

What products contain acetic acid?

As an additive, preservative, and flavouring, acetic acid from vinegar can be found in several food products. These include marinades, mustard, ketchup, salad dressings, mayonnaise and canned fruits.

It’s also found in many pickled products, including pickled sausages. Other products, as previously mentioned, are manufactured using acetic acid but they do not contain acetic acid in the true sense.

Is acetic acid harmful?

Although acetic acid is not harmful at low concentrations, if the concentration exceeds 25% it can have damaging effects.

Highly concentrated acetic acid can irritate the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity and throat, and can even damage the eyes. In addition, inhaling the vapour may cause coughing, breathing difficulties and headaches. It can also result in fever and confusion.

How acetic acid affects the body

Acetic acid only has adverse effects on the body at high concentrations of over 25%. It can burn the lining of the mouth and throat when ingested, making it difficult to breathe and swallow.

It may also trigger vomiting and stomach pain. In some serious cases, highly concentrated acetic acid can damage the airways and cause fluid to accumulate in the lungs.

What is acetic acid also known as?

Acetic acid is more commonly known as vinegar, although vinegar per se only contains around 4% to 6% acetic acid. The acid is systematically named ethanoic acid, but it’s also known as ethylic acid and methane carboxylic acid.

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