Acetic acid: Overview
From vinegar to wall paint, polyester and painkillers
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Acetic acid (CH3COOH) is the acid in vinegar, but almost all industrial supply comes from reacting methanol with carbon monoxide over a rhodium or iridium catalyst. World output is roughly 17-19 Mt a year (indicative), and China alone had 10.55 Mt of capacity in 2022 (OilChem via Mysteel). It goes into vinyl acetate for paints and adhesives, PTA for polyester, ester solvents and acetic anhydride for cellulose acetate and paracetamol. India imports much of what it uses, but Reliance plans a 3 Mt plant at Jamnagar by 2030, which would change the regional balance.
Volume about 17-19 Mt a year (indicative, basis: China about 11-13 Mt capacity being about half of world capacity; not a published total) Market value about $8-9 billion (indicative, basis: about 18 Mt x $450/t, a 2026 mid-range price) Growth Asia adding 9.92 Mt of capacity in 2025-2030, 5.8 Mt in China and 3.6 Mt in India (GlobalData) Mysteel citing OilChem (Jul 2023); GlobalData via Offshore Technology (2025); derivedKey uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) for PVA, PVOH, EVA: paints, adhesives, films | 33% | about 6 Mtbasis | VAM is made from ethylene, oxygen and acetic acid. Its polymers are the binders in water-based paints, wood glue, paper coatings and laminated safety glass interlayers. Construction and packaging drive it. indicative (basis: commonly cited industry splits, e.g. S&P Global CEH; not verified for 2025) | Acrylic emulsions Styrene-butadiene latex |
| PTA solvent for polyester (PET fibre and bottles) | 18% | about 3 Mtbasis | Paraxylene is oxidised to PTA in an acetic acid solvent; some is lost each pass, about 0.04-0.05 t per t PTA (indicative). Asia's huge PTA capacity in China and India makes this a large Asian outlet. indicative | None at scale for the oxidation solvent |
| Acetate esters (ethyl, butyl acetate) as solvents | 17% | about 3 Mtbasis | Ethyl and butyl acetate are fast-drying, low-toxicity solvents for inks, coatings, adhesives and pharma. India is a large ethyl acetate producer and exporter. indicative | Ketones Aromatic solvents Water-based systems |
| Acetic anhydride (cellulose acetate, paracetamol, aspirin) | 12% | about 2 Mtbasis | Anhydride acetylates cellulose for cigarette filters and textiles and is the acetylating agent for paracetamol, which India makes in volume. indicative | Ketene routes (from acetic acid anyway) |
| Other: monochloroacetic acid, pharma and agrochemical intermediates, food vinegar, textiles | 20% | about 3.6 Mtbasis | Acetic acid is a cheap, mild organic acid and solvent used across fine chemicals. Food-grade vinegar is mostly made by fermentation and is a separate market. indicative | Formic acid Citric acid in some uses |
From raw material to user
- Methanol and syngas About 0.54 t of methanol and 0.53 t of carbon monoxide per t of acetic acid (stoichiometry 0.533 and 0.467 plus losses, indicative); CO comes from coal gasification in China or gas reforming elsewhere.
- Carbonylation Methanol and CO react in a liquid with rhodium (Monsanto, Celanese AO Plus) or iridium (BP Cativa) catalyst and iodide promoter at about 30-60 bar and 150-200 C (indicative).
- Purification Distillation removes water, iodides and propionic acid to make glacial acetic acid of at least 99.8% (indicative).
- Derivatives VAM, PTA, esters and anhydride plants are often on the same site; Celanese runs 1.6 Mt at Clear Lake and 1.2 Mt at Nanjing (ResourceWise, 2020).
- Trade Shipped in stainless or coated chemical tankers and ISO tanks; China, the US and Southeast Asia export to India, Europe and others.
Made from (commodity table)
Gas Natural gasTc Thermal coalThree things to know
- China had 10.55 Mt of acetic acid capacity in 2022 with 7.9 Mt more planned (OilChem via Mysteel, 2023).
- India's domestic acetic acid price jumped to Rs 68/kg in early April 2026, then fell to Rs 45/kg by May as imports flooded in (ALCHEMPro, May 2026).
- Reliance plans a 3.0 Mt acetic acid plant at Jamnagar for 2030, larger than any single site today (GlobalData).