Product Overview
Acetic Acid Glacial ACS Grade is undiluted acetic acid — a clear, colorless liquid with a sharp vinegar odor, corrosive to both metals and tissue, and classified as a flammable liquid. "Glacial" means the acid is in its concentrated, water-free form, which solidifies into ice-like crystals below about 62 °F. This product carries its listed grade designation; confirm the lot-specific COA against your requirements.
We stock and ship this product daily from our Taylor, TX warehouse in sizes from 1-quart lab bottles through 330-gallon totes. If your work demands a reagent that won't introduce unknown impurities into an assay, titration, or synthesis — this is the grade you want on your shelf.
Why This Concentration
Glacial acetic acid is the undiluted starting point. Every dilution you might need — 75%, 50%, 30%, 10%, 5% — begins here. Buying glacial gives you full control over final concentration and lets you prepare solutions to your own spec in-house.
The trade-off is handling intensity. At full strength, this material carries a DOT Hazard Class 8 (corrosive) with a subsidiary Class 3 (flammable) designation, a flash point of 104 °F, and a Danger signal word (per the product's GHS classification). That means full-face shields, chemical-resistant gloves, and proper ventilation are non-negotiable during transfer and dilution. The vapor pressure — 11.4 mmHg at 68 °F — is high enough that you will smell it immediately in an unventilated space, which is actually useful as a built-in warning.
If your process calls for a specific lower concentration and you would rather skip the dilution step, we carry pre-diluted acetic acid solutions that ship at reduced hazard classifications. But for labs running HPLC, titrations, or multi-step synthesis, glacial at ACS purity is the standard starting reagent.
Chemical Profile
Acetic Acid Glacial is a clear, colorless liquid in its standard form at room temperature, with a pungent odor characteristic of concentrated vinegar. Its molecular formula is C2H4O2 (molecular weight 60.05 g/mol, CAS 64-19-7). The density runs 1.051 g/mL at 68 °F — slightly denser than water, so it sinks when spilled into an aqueous layer. It is fully miscible with water (solubility ≥100 mg/mL at 73 °F), meaning it dissolves completely at any ratio. Vapor pressure is 11.4 mmHg at 68 °F, climbing to 20 mmHg at 86 °F, so evaporation accelerates noticeably in warm environments. The flash point sits at 104 °F — well within range of a hot warehouse or outdoor staging area in summer, which is why this product ships as a flammable corrosive.
Industrial Applications
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HPLC Mobile Phase. ACS-grade glacial acetic acid is a standard mobile-phase modifier in reversed-phase liquid chromatography. A small percentage added to aqueous or organic mobile phases adjusts pH and improves peak shape for weakly acidic analytes. The ACS purity specification matters here — trace-level metal or organic contaminants would show up as baseline noise or ghost peaks in UV detection.
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Spectroscopy Solvent. Glacial acetic acid serves as a solvent and reference medium in UV-Vis spectroscopy work. Its low UV cutoff makes it practical for measurements where the solvent must not absorb in the analytical wavelength range.
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pH Adjustment. In water treatment, plating baths, textile processing, and food manufacturing, glacial acetic acid is dosed to bring process streams to target pH. Because it is a weak acid, it buffers more gently than mineral acids like hydrochloric or sulfuric — useful when overshooting pH would damage product or equipment.
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Chemical Synthesis Reagent. Acetic acid is a workhorse reactant and solvent in organic synthesis, including acetylation reactions, ester formation, and as a proton source in catalytic processes. Pharmaceutical and fine-chemical operations specify ACS grade to keep impurity profiles within validation limits.
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Food-Grade Acid Source. In food processing, acetic acid is the active component in vinegar production and is used directly for pH control in pickling, canning, and preservation. Glacial concentration allows processors to dose precisely and maintain batch consistency.
Handling & Storage
This product carries a Danger signal word with hazard statements H226 (flammable liquid and vapor) and H314 (causes severe skin burns and eye damage), per the product's GHS classification. Treat it accordingly.
PPE minimums: chemical splash goggles or full-face shield, acid-resistant gloves (butyl rubber or neoprene — not latex), and a chemical-resistant apron. In enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, use an acid-gas respirator cartridge.
Incompatibilities: keep away from strong oxidizers (chromic acid, permanganates, peroxides) and strong bases. Contact with oxidizers can cause violent reactions. Acetic acid corrodes many common metals — store and transfer in HDPE, glass, or 316 stainless steel only.
Storage: a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight and ignition sources. The 104 °F flash point means summer warehouse temperatures can bring this product close to its flammable range — ensure storage areas stay below that threshold or are equipped with proper ventilation and fire suppression. Keep containers tightly sealed to minimize vapor accumulation. Note that glacial acetic acid can freeze and expand below about 62 °F; allow headspace in containers stored in cold environments.
Hazmat & Shipping
Acetic Acid Glacial ships as a regulated hazardous material under DOT and IATA standards. Every shipment from our facility is packaged, marked, and documented by trained hazmat personnel. Here is the regulatory profile:
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UN Number: UN2789 (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Hazard Class: 8 (Corrosive), with a subsidiary hazard of Class 3 (Flammable) (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Packing Group: II (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Proper Shipping Name: Acetic acid, glacial (per 49 CFR 172.101)
All containers are sealed in DOT-specification packaging with appropriate corrosive and flammable labels. Larger volumes (drums and totes) ship on pallets via LTL hazmat carriers; quarts and gallons ship ground via UPS or FedEx Hazmat where carrier rules allow.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet ships with every order, available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A lot-specific Certificate of Analysis is also available, confirming the purity and specification compliance for the batch you receive. If your quality system requires a Technical Data Sheet, we provide that as well. Request any document before or after purchase — we keep them on file and send them promptly.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
We are a hazmat distributor, not a reseller passing along someone else's box. This product sits in our Taylor, TX warehouse right now, packaged in DOT-compliant containers and available to order today. Our handling and shipping guidance is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist, who oversees our compliance program for corrosive and flammable materials.
What that means for you: your order ships within 1-2 business days, packed correctly the first time, with all required hazmat documentation included. We handle the DOT paperwork, the carrier coordination, and the packaging — you receive a product that is labeled, sealed, and shipped exactly as the regulations require. Whether you need a single quart for a bench method or a 330-gallon tote for production, the process is the same: order, ship, deliver.
