Acetic Acid as an Organic Compound and a Colorless Carboxylic Acid - Assignment Example

Acetic Acid Acetic acid, or ethanoic acid, is an organic compound and a colorless carboxylic acid, and has CH3CO2H as its scientific formula. It is most commonly found in vinegar and can be identified by its pungent, sour smell and taste. It is mostly used as a chemical reagent in a variety of industries. Acetic acid is used in a number of areas such as ink for textile printing, dyes, pesticides, chemicals used in developing photographs, pharmaceuticals and many more. Acetic acid is widely used as a chemical reagent for the manufacturing of chemical compounds. Vinyl acetate monomer is one of the largest and major products of acetic acid, and it consumes around 40-45% of the world’s acetic acid. The esters found in acetic acid, such as ethyl acetate and propyl acetate, are used in inks and paints as solvents. Varnish removers and wood stains also include some esters found in acetic acid. 15% to 20% of acetic acid is used in this area of production. Acetic anhydride, another product of acetic acid, is used in the making of photographic film and also in the production of heroin. Vinegar includes about 4% to 18% acetic acid and this is further used in households in food items such as pickles. Recrystallization is another process in which acetic acid is used as a solvent. Recrystallization helps in the purification of organic compounds. In the area of medicine, acetic acid is used for treating outer ear infections, known as external otitis, as it helps in stopping the growth of bacteria and fungus. Stings by a box jellyfish can also be cured by the use of acetic acid which helps in stopping the stinging cells from having their effect on the victim. It is also used to stop the growth of bacteria in livestock feed. The market for acetic acid is vast all over the world, given its use in so many areas and is expected to reach 11.3 million tons by 2015. The US is the world’s largest producer of acetic acid. The selling price of the acid lies around US $ 600 per metric ton. Acetic acid is mainly produced by methanol carbonylation which causes exploitation of non-renewable synthetic resources. There is also high capital cost and low scaling factor due to the process requiring high temperatures and pressure, imported construction equipment and a large number of safety-related equipment. Scientists, however, are coming up with new processes for the production of acetic acid that have lower costs, make use of renewable resources and have less adverse effects on the environment. One of these processes is fermentation. (Yoneda et al., 2002) Using fermentation for the production of acetic acids is beneficial in a number of ways. It is independent of the scale of the plant, hence smaller scale of production can be carried out. The feedstock are lower in cost and the energy i.e. temperature and pressure requirements are much lower, making the process far more cost-efficient. Using fermentation is expected to save energy by 14 trillion btu by 2020, according to a report by US Department of Energy. Using fermentation of feedstock to produce acetic acids is one of the cheaper methods of producing the acid. This process makes use of the relatively cheap raffinate-2 feedstock and involves a direct oxidation process. Other than this, some processes use sugar and starch based feedstock, including corn, wheat and sugarcane. These processes involve anaerobic fermentation. Some more advanced fermentation processes make use of wood or other agricultural waste which contains cellulose. (Yoneda et al, 2002) A two-step process has been developed for producing acetic acid which involves the oxidation of various biomass wastes. The materials from which acetic acid can be obtained using this process are carrots, welsh onions, beef suet, potatoes, rice hulls, sawdust, cellulose, and starch. The process involves two major steps: in the first step, a hydrothermal reaction process is carried out in the absence of oxygen, through which the carbohydrates are converted to 5-hydroxymethyl-2-fureldehyde (HMF), 2-fureldehyde and lactic acid. In the second step, there is an oxidation reaction process by which the acquired chemicals are converted into lactic acid. Gasification of biomass through renewable feedstock is another process that can be used to produce acetic acids. The synthetic gas produced can be converted to methanol, and that can further be converted to acetic acid. The materials used in this process include rice husks and straws, wood chips, and sawdust. Wood is one of the major products through which acetic acid can be produced in the wood distillation industry. Low energy processes are used to extract acetic acid from wood directly. These processes include hot water extraction and fermentation. Woody biomass feedstock costs about US $25 to $40 a ton. Agriculture residues are priced at around $50 a ton. Sugar and starch-based feedstock costs, such as corn, costs about $0.70 per gallon. The use of acetic acid is not free of costs, and these are found in form of impact on the environment. There are various environmental hazards attached to the production of acetic acid. Acetic acid enters the environment from the emissions produced by industries, through burned rubber or plastic. Exhaust fumes from vehicles also produce and release acetic acid into the atmosphere. The biggest impact that acetic acid has is on human health. When a person breathes in the acetic acid, it causes eye and nose irritation, sore throat, chest problems, such as shortness of breath, headaches and dizziness. If inhaled in large amounts, it can cause mouth burns, throat burns, and an upset stomach in the form of diarrhea. Tooth enamel is also damaged by large intake of the acid. Direct contact with the skin can cause burns. It also causes discoloration and thickening of the skin, and itching. If the acid manages to enter the blood stream, it can lead to the breakdown of red blood cells which has an effect on the hemoglobin and can lead to kidney failures. Moreover, acetic acid has the ability to react violently with strong oxidants and can cause fire. Moreover, in high concentrations, it is also not safe for plants, animals and aquatic organisms. Acetic acid, all in all, is quite a useful substance for which numerous uses have been discovered all over the world and a well established market exist Bibliography YONEDA, N., KUSANO, S., YASUI, M., PUJADO, P., & WILCHER, S. (2002). Recent advances in processes and catalysts for the production of acetic acid. Applied Catalysis. A, General. 221, 253. OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY, & UNITED STATES. (2002). Processing Cost Analysis for Biomass Feedstocks. Washington, D.C, United States. Dept. of Energy. http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/814666-vlll69/native/. 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