Ethanoic Acid (Acetic Acid) – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog is the fourteenth in a series of blogs I plan to write providing use, price, and production data on high-use inorganic and organic chemicals.  Click here to see the first blog in this series and a list of chemicals to be featured.  This blog provides data on ethanoic acid (acetic acid).  The primary purpose of these blogs is to present estimates of recent price, production, and sales revenues for the chemicals.  The last blog in this series will compare price, production, and sales data for all the chemicals. 

Uses.  Uses of acetic acid include:

Ø  As a starting material (chemical agent) in making: vinyl acetate monomer; acetic anhydride; terephthalic acid; and acetates;

Ø  In the food industry, dissolved in water at low concentrations (known as vinegar), for its taste and preservation capabilities; and

Ø  For health (medical) applications.

As a chemical agent:

·         Approximately 35% is used to make vinyl acetate monomer, from which polyvinyl acetates are produced and used in paints and adhesives;

·         Approximately 25 to 30% is used to make acetic anhydride, from which cellulose acetate film is made;

·         Approximately 20% is used to make terephthalic acid, from which polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles are made; and

·         Approximately 15 to 20% is used to make ethyl, n-butyl, and other acetates, which are used as solvents in inks and coatings.

The rest (5 to 10%) of produced acetic acid is used for other purposes, e.g., in the food and medical industries.

Prices.  An average 2019 global acetic acid price range is estimated to be $500 to $600 per metric ton (mt).           

Production.  Acetic acid is primarily produced by reacting methanol with carbon dioxide in the presence of a catalyst.

From the internet, estimated 2019 global production of acetic acid is from 15 to 16 million mt.  Using this range (15 to 16 million mt produced) and an average per mt price range of $500 to $600 (see Prices above) gives revenues generated by acetic acid in 2019 of $7.5 to $9.6 billion (15 to 16 million mt times $500 to $600 per mt).