How to Make Acetic Acid

How to make acetic acid: a detailed analysis of the production method of acetic acid

acetic acid is an important chemical raw material, widely used in food, medicine, textile and plastics industries. Knowing how to make acetic acid is essential for professionals working in the chemical industry. This article will detail several production methods of acetic acid to help you better understand the process.

Definition and use of 1. acetic acid

acetic acid (CHYCOOH) is an organic acid composed of acetic acid molecules, usually in liquid form, with a strong sour taste and irritation. It is not only the main component of edible vinegar, but also the basic raw material for the synthesis of ethyl acetate, sodium acetate and other chemicals. Acetic acid has a wide range of applications in the chemical industry, such as as solvents, synthetic monomers for plastics, and preservatives.

2. traditional acetic acid production method: wet method

the wet method is one of the earliest acetic acid production methods. It mainly uses raw materials such as natural gas or coal to convert it into acetic acid through catalytic reaction. The steps of the wet method include:

1. raw material preparation: Through steam heating and gasification, natural gas or coal is converted into a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H₂).
2. synthetic reaction: Carbon monoxide and hydrogen react under a certain temperature and pressure to form acetic acid through the action of a catalyst.
3. acetic acid separation: The acetic acid generated by the reaction usually exists in the form of aqueous solution, and concentrated acetic acid is obtained after evaporation and concentration.

Although this method has a long history, it is gradually replaced by other methods due to its high energy consumption and high cost.

3. modern method of acetic acid production: methanol carbonylation

methanol carbonylation (also known as MTP) is one of the most commonly used acetic acid production methods, with high production efficiency and low cost. The basic principle is to generate acetic acid by reacting methanol (CHYOH) with carbon monoxide (CO) under the action of a catalyst. The specific steps are as follows:

1. methanol vaporization first, methanol is heated and gasified into methanol vapor.
2. reaction process: Methanol vapor and carbon monoxide react under high temperature and high pressure conditions through the action of a catalyst to produce acetic acid and water.
3. separation and purification: The generated acetic acid gas is cooled and condensed into liquid form. By further distillation and purification, high purity acetic acid is obtained.

This method has obvious advantages over the traditional wet method, especially in terms of raw material utilization and energy consumption, and has become the preferred process for most acetic acid production plants.

Other ways to 4. how to make acetic acid

in addition to the wet process and the methanol carbonylation process, there are a number of other acetic acid production methods, including the biological fermentation and synthesis of acetic acid. The biological fermentation method usually produces acetic acid by fermentation of organic matter by specific microorganisms under aerobic or anaerobic environment. Although this method is environmentally friendly, the yield is low and is usually used for small-scale production.

The synthetic law is to convert other organic compounds into acetic acid through chemical reactions, which is suitable for some industrial occasions with special needs.

5. how to choose the right acetic acid production method

A number of factors need to be considered when selecting an appropriate acetic acid production process, including availability of raw materials, scale of production, energy consumption, and production costs. For large-scale industrial production, methanol carbonylation has become the most commonly used production method due to its high efficiency and low cost. For some small-scale or special needs production, wet method or biological fermentation method may be a more economical choice.

6. Conclusion

there are various production methods of acetic acid, and each method has its unique advantages and applicable scenarios. Understanding how to make acetic acid not only helps to improve production efficiency, but also helps companies gain a competitive advantage in the market. For large-scale production, methanol carbonylation is undoubtedly the best choice, and in terms of resource utilization and environmental friendliness, biological fermentation is also a direction worthy of attention.

Through the detailed analysis of this article, I believe you have a deeper understanding of the problem of "how to make acetic acid. Hope to be able to provide help and reference for your work in the chemical industry.