Acetic Acid

a chemical compound, more correctly called ethanoic acid, which is the acid found in vinegar. It is present as a solution in water of strength 3 to 6%, in other words there are 3 to 6 parts of acetic acid in 100 parts of water. The chemical formula for acetic acid is CH₃COOH which contains two carbon atoms bonded together; to one are bonded three hydrogen atoms and to the other one one oxygen and one hydroxyl group (OH). Acetic acid is made from ethanol or acetylene.

Taken from Dictionary of Science

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Acetic acid, CH₃COOH, also known as ethanoic acid, is an organic acid, which gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell. It is a weak acid, in that it is only a partially dissociated acid in an aqueous solution. Pure, water-free acetic acid (glacial acetic acid) is a colourless liquid that absorbs water from the environment (hygroscopy), and freezes at 16.5 °C (62 °F) to a colourless crystalline solid. The pure acid, and concentrated solutions, are dangerously corrosive.

Acetic acid is one of the simplest carboxylic acids. It is an important chemical reagent and industrial chemical, used in the production of polyethylene terephthalate mainly used in soft drink bottles; cellulose acetate, mainly for photographic film; and polyvinyl acetate for wood glue, as well as synthetic fibres and fabrics. In households, diluted acetic acid is often used in descaling agents. In the food industry acetic acid is used under the food additive code E260 as an acidity regulator and as a condiment on chips.

The global demand of acetic acid is around 6.5 million tonnes per year (Mt/a), of which approximately 1.5 Mt/a is met by recycling; the remainder is manufactured from petrochemical feedstocks or from biological sources. Dilute acetic acid produced by natural fermentation is called vinegar.

Taken from Wikipedia