Acetic Acid

Acetic acid is known as ethanoic acid and methane carboxylic acid is a colorless liquid
that has a strong and distinct pungent and sour smell. Its chemical formula is C2H4O2. It
has two carbon (C) atoms, four hydrogen (H) atoms and two oxygen (O) atoms. Because
it has a carbon in its chemical formula, it is an organic compound. Vinegar is a household
essential often used for cooking. What chemical substance makes vinegar smell the way
it does? Vinegar is actually a solution that is made of 4-8% of acetic acid that is
dissolved in water and other substances that give vinegar its flavor depending on its type.
Acetic acid is one of the simplest carboxylic acid. The chemical structure of carboxylic
acid is:

The global demand of acetic acid is around 6.5 million tonnes per year (mt/a).Pure acetic
acid is very useful because it acts as a hygroscopic liquid. The acetic acid freezes below
16.7C,melting point is 16.7C.Boiling point is 118C, flash point is 40C and Explosion
limits is 4 to 16%. Acetic acid is weak acid having Pka value of 4.8.The acetic acid has a
moderate dielectric constant of 6.2 as it is protic solvent like ethanol and water. We most
commonly know that acetic acid is used in vinegar, it is used for so much more, and it is a
very important chemical used in many industrial processes. Let's take a look at the
various uses of acetic acid. A majority of the acetic acid that is produced is used to
produce vinyl acetate monomer, or VAM and other major application is production of
acetic anhydride. It is used to produce the synthetic fibers and fabrics, it is also used for
photographic film. Chemically all acetates is soluble in water except of chromium (2)
acetate It is highly corrosive with metals like iron and zinc but is is non corrosive in
presence of stainless steel. The acetic acid is very useful as industrial point of view so
the acetic acid is produced by three methods and these methods are:
1) Oxidation of acetaldehyde (old method)
2) N-butane Oxidation
3) Methanol Carbonylation

Production of Acetic acid

N-butane Oxidation:
Acetic acid is produced by cobalt-catalyzed oxidation of n-butane at temperature of
110C-120C and pressure of 60 atm. Butane reacts with oxygen, contains gas in the
presences s of a soluble cobalt compound at a concentration of 0.5 to about 20% by
weight cobalt based upon a lower fatty acid in reaction composition at a temperature of
93-100C. The process operates while maintaining a high partial pressure of oxygen
throughout the reaction zone and a high cobalt catalyst concentration to obtain a high
reaction rate. Constant temperature may also be maintained in the reaction zone. The
liquid phase oxidation of butane yields acetic acid, ketones and eaters n-butane ideally
yields two moles of acetic acid .The lBO process produces 500 lb millions of acetic acid.
In the process, n-butane add air is feed to the reactor where oxidation takes place The
product mixtures is passed through coolers and then through separators such as decanter
(separation on the basis of density) and flash tank (separation on the boiling point
/relative volatility) The initial reaction involves formation of butane n-hydro peroxide
further oxidation and decomposition of resultant radicals produce acetic acid:
C4H10 + 2 1/2O2

2CH3COOH + H2

Before methanol carbonylation become commercialized in 1989, butane oxidation was

major source of acetic acid. Now produces up to 10% of acetic acid annually. The process
diagram is :