Acetic Acid Historical and Background

Acetic acid is one of the major commodity chemicals, with a current world production capacity of ca. 9 Mt/a. It has long been a mainstay of the organic chemicals industry, its manufacture increasing in sophistication and selectivity over the years. From being a simple agrochemical made in small quantitites as a foodstulf additive it has become a major bulk chemical with many important downstream applications (Box 2). 

Acetic acid is used in the manufacture of a wide variety of products including adhesives, polyester fibres, plastics, paints, resins and solvents. About 40% of the acetic acid made industrially is used in the manufacture of vinyl acetate monomer for the plastics industry other large uses are to make cellulose acetate, a variety of acetate esters that are used as solvents, as well as monochloracetic acid, a pesticide. Acetic acid is also used as a solvent for the oxidation of p-xylene to terephthalic acid, a precursor to the important polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A minor, but important use is as non-brewed condiment, a vinegar substitute widely used in British fish and chip shops this is made using food-grade industrial acetic acid and is less expensive than fermentation vinegar. 

Today most of the world s production of acetic acid uses the catalytic carbonylation of methanol (Equation 10), 

CH3OH + CO CH3CO2H with the overall stoichiometry (Equation 12)  

The excess H2 produced can be utilized in other processes thus an integrated chemical plant might produce acetic acid and use the hydrogen to make ammonia. 

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