Top 5 ways to use acetic acid

Did you know the word ‘acetic’ is derived from the Latin word ‘acetum’, which means vinegar? It is a clear liquid with a strong, pungent smell. Acetic acid is a weak acid but is demanded across a variety of industries. You can find acetic acid in antiseptics, antibiotics, cleaning agents, and disinfectants. Let’s discuss the features and popular uses of this colourless liquid in detail.

What exactly is acetic acid?

Acetic acid is also known as ethanoic acid, ethylic acid, glacial acetic acid. Basically, it’s a simple organic acid of carboxylic group attached to methyl group. It can be produced naturally from the acetic acid bacteria that is derived or excreted from fruits and food spoil. It is considered food-grade, but one needs to handle it with care as it is corrosive for skin and eyes.

What are the applications of acetic acid?

Generally, you can find acetic acid in several cleaning and disinfecting products. But, that’s not it, acetic acid is a versatile chemical with many popular uses, such as:

1.      Household uses: Vinegar is the best-known use of acetic acid. Usually, you can find a range of mild to heavily concentrated vinegar with an amount of acetic acid between 5% to 20%.

Apart from this, acetic acid is great for fungal growth and mold and mildew, which is why the chemical compound is also found in window cleaners, dusting sprays, glass cleaners, and many green cleaning products.

2.      Food industry: Commercial pickling and baking are the most common uses of acetic acid in the food industry. Additionally, this acid is widely demanded for condiment processing and seasonings like mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard sauce.

3.      Industrial uses: A wide number of industries utilise acetic acid as a chemical reagent to produce certain other chemicals. One of the most popular industrial applications of acetic acid is to prepare cellulose acetate, which is demanded in photographic film. It is demanded to be used as a base material and also utilised in the automotive industry for making tough and protective tools and gears.  

4.      Medicinal uses: In the pharmaceutical industry, the antibacterial properties of acetic acid are the most popular option to process antiseptics and antibiotics. It also inhibits the growth of pathogens and is therefore used to produce medicines that treat wounds and cervical cancer.

5.      Manufacturing: Given the tough properties of acetic acid, it is widely used in the manufacturing industry. For instance, you can find acetic acid as a common compound in adhesives, paints, descalers and rust removing products.

Final note

The demand for acetic acid is very popular among a large number of industrial and commercial applications. Buyers interested in this chemical can click here to get in touch with A-Gas Electronic Materials; they are a trusted distributor and chemical specialist in the UK.  

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