Acetic Acid

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Acetic acid: molecular structure (left upper), crystals (left lower) and reagent grade acetic acid (right).

Acetic acid is a colourless liquid organic compound with the chemical formula CH3COOH. Vinegar is roughly 3–9% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main component of vinegar apart from water. It is also a precursor to polyvinyl acetate and cellulose acetate. Production is by: methanol carbonylation, acetaldehyde oxidation, ethylene oxidation, oxidative fermentation and anaerobic fermentation.

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