Acetic Anhydride
Acetic Anhydride is the simplest isolable anhydride of a carboxylic acid, with the molecular formula (CH3CO)2O, CAS number 108-24-7, and molecular weight 102.09 grams per mole.
It is a colourless mobile liquid with a sharp, vinegar-like odour that rapidly hydrolyses in moist air to acetic acid. The compound is one of the standard acetylating reagents of the chemical industry.
We source bulk Acetic Anhydride from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Zhejiang. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
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- Packaging
- 250 kg plastic drum or 1,000 kg IBC tote
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
Grades / Types Available: Excellent product, First-class product, Qualified
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear colorless liquid |
| Odor | Strong pungent vinegar-like |
| Assay (GC) | ≥ 99.0% |
| Acetic Acid Content | ≤ 1.0% |
| Density (20°C) | 1.080–1.084 g/mL |
| Refractive Index (20°C) | 1.389–1.391 |
| Boiling Point | 139–140°C |
| Chloride (Cl) | ≤ 5 mg/kg |
| Iron (Fe) | ≤ 5 mg/kg |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Non-volatile Matter | ≤ 0.01% |
| Color, Hazen(Pt-Co) | 10 (Excellent product), 15 (First-class product), 25 (Qualified) |
| Assay /% | 99.0 (Excellent product), 98.0 (First-class product), 96.0 (Qualified) |
| Residue on evaporation/% | 0.005 (Excellent product), 0.01 (First-class product), 0.01 (Qualified) |
Common Markets Grades
Acetic anhydride comes in industrial, pharmaceutical and analytical grades.
Industrial grade carries a minimum assay of 99.0 percent and is the standard for cellulose acetate, aspirin, and bulk acetylation chemistry. Water content is typically below 0.2 percent.
Pharmaceutical grade meets the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), and British Pharmacopoeia (BP) monographs, with a minimum assay of 99.5 percent, water below 0.05 percent, and tight limits on chlorides, sulphates, and heavy metals.
Analytical or reagent grade ACS-certified material is produced for laboratory synthesis at 98.5 percent or higher assay.
Pack formats include 200 to 240 kilogram steel drums, 1,000 kilogram IBC totes, and ISO tank containers of 18 to 22 metric tonnes for large industrial users.
Applications
- Cellulose acetate manufacture for cigarette filters, photographic film, and textile fibre
- Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) production by acetylation of salicylic acid
- Paracetamol and other pharmaceutical intermediates requiring acetyl groups
- Acetate esters of starch, sugars, and natural products for industrial application
- Modified starch production for food and paper industry applications
- Aromatic acetylation in fine chemicals and fragrance synthesis
- Dye and pigment intermediates requiring acetyl protection or activation
- Plastic and polymer modification including poly(vinyl acetate) and related systems
- Analytical reagent for the determination of hydroxyl number in oils, waxes, and polyols
- Catalyst and reagent in organic synthesis for the introduction of acetyl groups under mild conditions
China Manufacturers of Acetic Anhydride
Top Acetic Anhydride manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Acetic Anhydride
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Acetic Anhydride out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Acetic Anhydride together with other ingredients into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Acetic anhydride is heavily regulated due to its dual use as a legitimate chemical reagent and as a precursor for the illicit manufacture of heroin from morphine.
It is listed in Table I of the 1988 United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Manufacturers, distributors, and users must register, document transactions, and report suspicious orders.
The European Union regulates it under Regulation 273/2004 on drug precursors (intra-EU) and Regulation 111/2005 (external trade), with a Category 1 classification that requires a license for handling.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration lists it as a List II chemical under the Controlled Substances Act, with reporting and recordkeeping obligations for importers, exporters, manufacturers, and distributors.
Transport classification is UN 1715, Class 8 corrosive, Packing Group II. Workplace exposure limits are typically 5 parts per million (8-hour TWA) and 15 parts per million (short-term) in most industrial jurisdictions. Pharmaceutical grade material meets USP, Ph. Eur., and BP monographs.
Manufacturing Process
Modern industrial production of acetic anhydride uses two main routes.
The dominant route is methyl acetate carbonylation, commercialized by Eastman Chemical in 1983 at the Kingsport plant in Tennessee. Methyl acetate reacts with carbon monoxide over a rhodium-iodide catalyst at 150 to 200 degrees Celsius and 25 to 75 bar to give acetic anhydride in high selectivity.
The Eastman process integrates coal gasification, methanol synthesis, methyl acetate formation, and the carbonylation step into a single plant. It produces about 250,000 tonnes of acetic anhydride per year and supplies a large share of U.S. demand.
The second route is the ketene process, used by BP and historically by Hoechst. Acetic acid is dehydrated at 700 to 750 degrees Celsius over a triethyl phosphate catalyst to give ketene, which is then absorbed in cold acetic acid at 0 to 50 degrees Celsius to form acetic anhydride.
A third route, acetaldehyde oxidation, was historically important but is now largely displaced. Crude product from any route is purified by fractional distillation to meet the 99 percent or 99.5 percent purity specifications required for industrial and pharmaceutical use.
Global production is estimated at 3 million tonnes per year, with the bulk consumed in cellulose acetate manufacture for cigarette tow and textile fibre.