Production of Glacial Acetic Acid
Production of Glacial Acetic Acid. Investment Opportunities in Chemical Industry.
Glacial acetic acid is the anhydrous (undiluted or free of water) form of acetic acid. Acetic acid is considered an organic compound and has the chemical formula CH3COOH. We call a diluted solution of acetic acid vinegar, ethanoic acid, or ethylic acid. The common name for ethanoic acid is acetic acid. A solution of 4 percent or more acetic acid and water is called ‘vinegar.’ The formula for acetic acid is CH3COOH.
Acetic acid containing less than 1% water forms anhydrous or glacial acetic acid, meaning a water-free acid. The reason it’s called glacial is because it solidifies into solid acetic acid crystals just cooler than room temperature at 16.7 °C, which ice.
Glacial acetic acid is an excellent polar solvent. Chemists frequently use it as a solvent for recrystallization to purify organic compounds. Glacial acetic acid is used in analytical chemistry for the estimation of weakly alkaline substance
People have used acetic acid for centuries in food production, manufacturing, cleaning, and medical purposes. Undiluted glacial acetic acid lacks medical use, but diluted acetic acid serves various therapeutic and clinical applications.
Pure water-free acetic acid is called glacial acetic acid. Glacial acetic acid is a colorless liquid that absorbs water from the environment and freezes at 16.7 °C into a colorless crystalline solid. As a weak acid, it forms needle-shaped crystals when frozen, which gives it the name “glacial.” The compound has a clear, colorless appearance with a strong pungent odor. Wood distillation, acetylene oxidation with air and water, or ethanol oxidation produces glacial acetic acid. Glacial acetic acid is strongly corrosive and potentially flammable having a low flash point. Home vinegar is five percent by mass acetic acid. Dilute acetic acid in the form of vinegar has many home and culinary purposes.
Uses
- The main use of glacial acetic acid in cooking is in form of vinegar.
- People generally use it in cooking, making salads, and pickling and canning.
- Marinating meat in dilute acetic acid kills bacteria and tenderizes the meat.
- Soak wilted vegetables in a mixture of two cups of water and a tablespoon of acetic acid to freshen them up.
- To make cheese last longer, store it in an acid soaked cloth.
- To prevent eggs from cracking when you boil them just add two tablespoons of glacial acetic acid to the water before boiling it. This will also help you to peel off the egg shells faster and easier.
Market Outlook
Acetic acid serves in producing coatings, greases, polyesters, and sealants used across electronics, automobiles, textiles, and packaging industries.
Presently polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are gaining popularity in the medical and consumer goods sectors as they are lightweight and recyclable in nature. As PET bottles are manufactured by using purified terephthalic acid (PTA), produced from acetic acid their mounting demand is catalyzing the growth of the market.
Regional Market Trends
At present, China leads the glacial acetic acid market and will grow due to rising demand from end-use applications in the region. Increasing industrialization in the nation will drive market demand over the next seven years. China, one of the largest automobile producers, will create a huge market for sealants and adhesives and propel glacial acetic acid demand. China’s glacial acetic acid market expects strong growth due to cheap labor and easy availability of raw materials. Vinegar consumption is rising as it helps reduce weight while maintaining blood pressure and regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels. The use of acetic acid in vinegar manufacturing drives the overall growth of the market.
Demand from PET Bottles and Consumer Applications
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are gaining popularity in the medical and consumer goods sectors as they are lightweight and recyclable in nature. As PET bottles are manufactured by using purified terephthalic acid (PTA), produced from acetic acid, their mounting demand is catalyzing the growth of the market. Consumers have increased vinegar consumption because it helps reduce weight, maintain blood pressure, and regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Manufacturers use acetic acid to produce vinegar, which drives the overall growth of the market.
Technological Developments
Manufacturers of acetic acid are increasingly adopting new technologies like BP’s Captiva and Celanese’s AO-plus (Acid Optimization Plus) which deliver significant savings in variable costs as well as lower capital costs for the construction of new plants. Besides this, they also increase capacity, enhance production efficiency, and reduce energy consumption by approximately 30%, thereby lowering operating costs. Increasing adoption of emerging technologies for chemical and derivative production is driving positive growth across the industry.
Market Forecast
Global Glacial Acetic Acid market size will increase to Million US$ by 2025 from Million US$ in 2017 at a CAGR. The study considers 2017 as the base year and covers the period from 2018 to 2025.
Construction Industry Impact
The exploding construction sector, driven by the need to provide habitat for the growing global population, drives this progression. The global acetic acid market aims to capitalize on the rapidly growing construction of infrastructure worldwide. Most acetic acid production goes into manufacturing vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), an essential component for making paints and adhesives used in construction. Increase in disposable income has diverted consumers towards affordability of architectural decorations hence supplementing the purchasing of paints and coatings.
Key Players
Celanese, Eastman Chemical Company, Qingdao Huatuo Chemicals Co. Ltd., Henan CXH Purity Industrial And Trading Co. Ltd., Zhengzhou Kelai Chemical Co. Ltd., HarvinImpex Pvt. Ltd. India, Ultra Chemical Works, A.B. Enterprises, Akchem and Chemical Point UG. British Petroleum Plc, Celanese Corporation, Daicel Corporation, DuPont, Eastman Chemical Company, GNFC Limited, HELM AG, LyondellBasell Industries N.V, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, PetroChina, SABIC, Showa Denko K.K, Sinopec, Svensk Etanolkemi AB (SEKAB), Wacker Chemie AG
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