Acetic acid
Made mostly from methanol and carbon monoxide, acetic acid feeds vinyl acetate, PTA for polyester, solvents and paracetamol; China now dominates supply.
Commodity chemicals · Methanol & oxygenates · No. 33
- Single chemical
- Feedstock: Oil, gas or coal
- about 17-19 Mt a year (indicative, basis: China about 11-13 Mt capacity being about half of world capacity; not a published total)
- 2.4 t CO₂e per t
- HS 291521
The sour acid in vinegar is made industrially from methanol and carbon monoxide, and ends up in paint, polyester and paracetamol.
Chart: Illustration: Acetic acid
Where it comes from
Chart: Map of where it comes from
Methanol and carbon monoxide react over a rhodium or iridium catalyst at 30-60 bar. This carbonylation route has pushed out almost every older method since the 1970s.
Three things to know
- China had 10.55 Mt of acetic acid capacity in 2022, roughly half the world, with 7.9 Mt more planned.
- India's domestic price leapt to Rs 68 per kg in early April 2026, then fell to Rs 45 by May as imports poured in.
- Reliance plans a 3.0 Mt plant at Jamnagar for 2030, bigger than any single site operating today.
The journey
- 1 Methanol, CO0.54 t methanol, 0.53 t CO
- 2 CarbonylationRhodium or iridium catalyst, 150-200 C
- 3 PurificationDistilled to glacial, at least 99.8%
- 4 DerivativesVAM, PTA, esters, acetic anhydride
- 5 ProductsPaints, glue, polyester, solvents, paracetamol