Thread: concentrated acetic acid

is there any way to take average household vinegar (4-5% solution of acetic acid) and make it more concentrated?

Can you not boil some of the water off? or slowly simmer off some of the water in household vinegar.

Originally Posted by psynapse

Can you not boil some of the water off? or slowly simmer off some of the water in household vinegar.

I think acetic acid is very volatile, and would evaporate even before the H2O.

Its not a volatile chemical. It forms hydrogen bonds between two molocules of itself which makes it alot harder to seperate from it self. a dimer of itself

Distillation would remove some water, ethanoic acid has a boiling point of 118 ( high due to the hydrogen bonds ).

correct me if im wrong.

I use acetic acid in the preparation of calcium phosphate microfossils. One needs 100% acid, a few ounces, and then you can keep producing your own acid off off this stock (look up 'glacial' acetic acid production).

You can, however, find 'vinegar' is higher off the shelf concentrations than mentioned above. Up to 12% or so in some cider vinegars...you can also find it higher in some fungicides.

One source of acetic acid is photo supply shops. Acetic acid is used in stabalizing film. I don't know, however, if it goes under some other industry name.

We buy it by the 40 gallon drum from chemical supply companies but,as mentioned, if you can get a few ounces 100% acid then you can keep making your own in non-commercial quantities. A university lab mght give you a couple ounces if you make a case for it. It's a bit burny in a pure state but not dangerous like many other concentrated acids...the smell is a bit overwhelming and it sure clears the sinuses.

Originally Posted by Jellyologist

I use acetic acid in the preparation of calcium phosphate microfossils. One needs 100% acid, a few ounces, and then you can keep producing your own acid off off this stock (look up 'glacial' acetic acid production).

You can, however, find 'vinegar' is higher off the shelf concentrations than mentioned above. Up to 12% or so in some cider vinegars...you can also find it higher in some fungicides.

One source of acetic acid is photo supply shops. Acetic acid is used in stabalizing film. I don't know, however, if it goes under some other industry name.

We buy it by the 40 gallon drum from chemical supply companies but,as mentioned, if you can get a few ounces 100% acid then you can keep making your own in non-commercial quantities. A university lab mght give you a couple ounces if you make a case for it. It's a bit burny in a pure state but not dangerous like many other concentrated acids...the smell is a bit overwhelming and it sure clears the sinuses.

ok, that helped, thanks. i'm looking for more concentrated acetic acid than vinegar just because i like trying to do little chemistry experiments at home with chemicals i actually have access to, and i'm not sure vinegar will ever get me any great results because it's so dilute.

One method you might want to try is a synthesis via Sodium Acetate...

Take your vinegar and add sodium hydroxide (or sodium bicarbonate) until no reaction occurs and it reads neutral, then crystalise this by evaporation to make sodium acetate. Then to the sodium acetate add sulphuric acid and distill to get conc Acetic acid.

Be warned a lot of H2S is generated so do this outside. I made the mistake of doing this in my kitchen which led to a very eggy smelling house for a few hours.

I know being a chemical do-it-yourselfer is cool and all, but you would could always just, you know, buy some pure acetic acid. Sigma-Aldrich sells it mail-order for around $30/liter.

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/Local/SA_Splash.html

Originally Posted by Scifor Refugee

I know being a chemical do-it-yourselfer is cool and all, but you would could always just, you know, buy some pure acetic acid. Sigma-Aldrich sells it mail-order for around $30/liter.

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/Local/SA_Splash.html

you think I can afford that? well, i can't, unfortunately. oh well. not much time for experiments anyway. someday i'll have time i suppose.