Acetic acid and glacial acetic acid are two kinds of acids that are present in a laboratory. These acids are used for testing various components in a laboratory by people working in a laboratory. Acetic acid is different from each other even though they sound the same. They differ in terms of color, taste, the concentration of acid, and many other characteristics.
Acetic Acid vs Glacial Acetic Acid
The main difference between acetic acid and glaciated acetic acid is that in acetic acid, there a high level of water present in it, which makes it says soluble, having less acetic concentration. On the other hand, the concentration level of water in glaciated acetic acid is very low, ranging up to only one percent, which makes it highly acidic.
Acetic acid is also called ethanoic acid. This acid contains carboxylic acid, which is present in groups of Carboxylic acid. The chemical formula for Acetic acid is C2H402. The acidic acid is usually found in plants and organisms of animals. Acetic acid usually occurs in a free state, but it sometimes also occurs in the form of esters and other compounds.
A glacial Acetic acid is a form of Acetic acid which is concentrated. This means that it is a natural acetic acid. This acid is also known as anhydrous acid. This is because it contains only little amount of water. The glaciated acetic acid is colorless and very corrosive. The chemical formula of glacial acetic acid is CH3COOH.
Comparison Table Between Acetic Acid and Glacial Acetic Acid
| Parameters of Comparison | Acetic Acid | Glacial Acetic Acid |
| Description | The acetic is said to be a chemical acid that contains a high concentration of water level. | Glacial acetic acid is a solution that is a concentrated form of acetic acid. |
| Water level | There is more water in acetic acid and is always in a form that is diluted. | Glacial acetic acid is a solution having less amount of water and is a concentrated form. |
| Uses | The acetic acid can be used in food materials and other eatables, causing no harm. | It is not safe to use Glacial acetic acid while preparing food as it’s corrosive nature. |
| Formation of crystals | The Acetic acid cannot freeze and form into crystals. | The glacial acid freeze and converts the acetic acid concentration into crystals at a cool temperature. |
| Chemical formula | The chemical formula for Acetic acid is C2H402. | The chemical formula for glacial acetic acid is CH3COOH. |
What is Acetic Acid?
Acetic acid is also called ethanoic acid. This acid contains carboxylic acid, which is present in groups of Carboxylic acid. The chemical formula for Acetic acid is C2H402. The acidic acid is usually found in plants and organisms of animals. Acetic acid usually occurs in a free state, but it sometimes also occurs in the form of esters and other compounds.
Acetic acid is a transparent acid that has a sour taste. This is used widely in making vinegar. The main component in vinegar is the acetic acid containing about 3 to 9 percentage of acid. Acetic acid has many more uses when it comes to household and industrial use.
This acid is used in household work while cooking, washing clothes, and on the other hand, this acid is also used for making chemicals in industries by mixing with other chemicals.
The density of the acidic acid is about 1.04g/cm3. 16.5°C is the melting of the acetic acid. In early times, acetic acid was made through industries by oxidation of Ethanol and butane, but now it’s Industrially made by the carbonization of methanol.
What is Glacial Acetic Acid?
A glacial Acetic acid is a form of Acetic acid which is concentrated. This means that it is a natural acetic acid. This acid is also known as anhydrous acid. This is because it contains only little amount of water. The glaciated acetic acid is colorless and very corrosive. CH3COOH is known to be the chemical formula for glaciated acetic acid.
The glacial acidic acid is composed of hardly one percent of acetic acid. The glacial acetic acid has a high concentration of about 99.5 percent of acetic acid in it, which makes it highly acetic. This acid can be mixed with water. This is said to be a glacial acetic acid, as it has the power to solidify the acetic acid into crystals.
The crystallization process happens around a temperature of about 16.7°C. Even though we add acetic acid in good like vinegar, etc., the glacial acetic acid cannot be drunk raw due to its feature of corrosives present. The glacial acetic acid is made by pouring in a solution of stalactite of acetic acid, which is in solid form.
Main Differences Between Acetic Acid and Glacial Acetic Acid
- The acetic is said to be a solution of acetic acid with a high concentration of water level, and on the other hand, glacial acetic acid is a solution that is a concentrated form of acetic acid.
- There is more amount of water present in acetic acid, and on the other hand, glacial acetic acid is a solution having less amount of water and is a concentrated form.
- The acetic acid can be used in food materials and other eatables, causing no harm, and on the other hand, it is not at all safe to use Glacial acetic acid while preparing food as it’s corrosive nature.
- The Acetic acid cannot freeze and form into crystals, and on the other hand, the glacial acid freeze and converts the acetic acid concentration into crystals at a cool temperature.
- The chemical formula for Acetic acid is C2H402, and on the other hand, the chemical formula for glacial acetic acid is CH3COOH.
Conclusion
There should be care taken while using any kind of acid in a laboratory. Even though acetic acid is an acid that is less harmful as compared to glacial acetic acid. This is because of the feature of it to convert it into crystals at a temperature that is cool. The main difference between both these acids is, high liquidity of water present that is in acetic acid and that the other has only one percent of water concentration that is glacial acetic acid.
References
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ja01219a018
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02534777