Acetic Acid | Definition, Formula, Uses, & Facts | Britannica

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External Websites

• PNAS - Direct and continuous generation of pure acetic acid solutions via electrocatalytic carbon monoxide reduction
• National Institute of Standards and Technology - Chemistry WebBook - Acetic acid
• GOV.UK - Acetic acid: general information
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Acetic acid: a cheap but chief metabolic regulator for abiotic stress tolerance in plants
• Nature - Synthesis of acetic acid via methanol hydrocarboxylation with CO2 and H2
• Virginia Department of Health - Acetic Acid
• Mustansiriyah University - Acetic acid production (PDF)
• MedicineNet - Acetic Acid Otic
• Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research - Review Article of Acetic Acid Production by Waste and Strains
• ChemicalSafetyFacts.org - Acetic Acid
• Australian Government - Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water - Acetic acid (ethanoic acid)
• CAMEO Chemicals - Acetic acid, Glacial

acetic acid chemical compound Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: ethanoic acid, glacial acetic acid Written by William H. Brown Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Beloit College, Wisconsin. William H. Brown Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Jan. 31, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

acetic acid (CH3COOH), the most important of the carboxylic acids. A dilute (approximately 5 percent by volume) solution of acetic acid produced by fermentation and oxidation of natural carbohydrates is called vinegar; a salt, ester, or acylal of acetic acid is called acetate. Industrially, acetic acid is used in the preparation of metal acetates, used in some printing processes; vinyl acetate, employed in the production of plastics; cellulose acetate, used in making photographic films and textiles; and volatile organic esters (such as ethyl and butyl acetates), widely used as solvents for resins, paints, and lacquers. Biologically, acetic acid is an important metabolic intermediate, and it occurs naturally in body fluids and in plant juices.

Acetic acid has been prepared on an industrial scale by air oxidation of acetaldehyde, by oxidation of ethanol (ethyl alcohol), and by oxidation of butane and butene. Today acetic acid is manufactured by a process developed by the chemical company Monsanto in the 1960s; it involves a rhodium-iodine catalyzed carbonylation of methanol (methyl alcohol).

Also called: ethanoic acid (Show more) Related Topics: acetylcholine vinegar saturated fat acetic anhydride (Show more) On the Web: PNAS - Direct and continuous generation of pure acetic acid solutions via electrocatalytic carbon monoxide reduction (Jan. 31, 2026) (Show more) See all related content

Pure acetic acid, often called glacial acetic acid, is a corrosive, colourless liquid (boiling point 117.9 °C [244.2 °F]; melting point 16.6 °C [61.9 °F]) that is completely miscible with water.

William H. Brown