Chemistry Connected Summer - Issue Five | Page 22

ACETIC ACID From cleaning windows to preserving Lenin’s body, HJL[PJHJPKOHZ^LSSLHYULK P[ZSHILSHZHT\S[PW\YWVZL chemical. 4VZ[JVTTVUS`PKLU[PÄLKHZ[OLTHPUJVTWVULU[VM]PULNHYHJL[PJHJPK is present in the kitchen cupboards of homes up and down the country, MHTV\ZMVYP[ZKPZ[PUJ[P]LZTLSSHUKZV\Y[HZ[LI\[HJL[PJHJPKPZZV T\JOTVYL[OHUHJVUKPTLU[MVYÄZOHUKJOPWZ In this edition of Product Focus we examine the versatility of acetic acid and the reasons why demand is set to soar through the roof in the next Ä]L`LHYZ 0[ZIPNNLZ[THYRL[ZLJ[VYPZPU[OLWYVK\J[PVUVM]PU`SHJL[H[LTVUVTLY =(4^P[OHYV\UKVUL[OPYKVM[OL^VYSK»ZHJL[PJHJPKJVUZ\TW[PVU going into this product, which is widely used in the production of coatings, plastics, textile treatments and pigments. 22 One of a group of organic compounds it is miscible with other liquids such as water, esters and ethyl alcohol making it easy to incorporate fully into other solutions in any dilution. (JL[PJHJPKPZHSZV\ZLKPUW\YPÄLK[LYLWO[OHSPJHJPKHUKWVS`L[O`SLUL [LYLWO[OHSH[LJVTTVUS`\ZLKPU[OLT\S[PTPSSPVUWV\UKMVVKHUK IL]LYHNLPUK\Z[Y`PUWHJRHNPUNHUK[OLWYVK\J[PVUVM^H[LYIV[[SLZ