Product Overview
50% Vinegar is a concentrated acetic acid solution (CAS 64-19-7) designed for industrial pH control, cleaning, and chemical manufacturing. At half acetic acid by mass, this technical grade product delivers strong acid performance in a single-component aqueous format—no on-site blending or dilution math required to hit a working concentration.
It is available to order in sizes from 1-quart bottles through 330-gallon totes, covering everything from bench-scale formulation work to continuous bulk process feeds. The primary buyers are water-treatment operators adjusting influent pH, food-processing plants running CIP acid cycles, industrial cleaning crews dissolving mineral scale, and chemical manufacturers using acetic acid as a reactive feedstock.
Why This Concentration
50% acetic acid sits at the practical midpoint of the concentration range, and that position matters for procurement. Below it, 10% vinegar and 30% vinegar handle light cleaning and mild pH adjustment where lower corrosivity simplifies material compatibility and PPE requirements. Above it, 75% vinegar and 75% ACS grade vinegar deliver higher acid content for synthesis feedstock or applications that call for tighter purity controls.
At 50%, you get meaningful acid strength—enough to drive pH depression in process water, dissolve carbonate and mineral deposits in industrial cleaning circuits, or serve as a bulk reagent—without the fuming behavior and accelerated corrosion rates of glacial-strength material. The trade-off is direct: this concentration ships as a Class 8 corrosive (UN2790, Packing Group II), so your facility needs proper PPE, corrosion-resistant containment, and personnel trained on hazmat handling. But you avoid the subsidiary hazard concerns and tighter packaging restrictions that come with higher-concentration acetic acid.
If your process specification calls for 45–55% acetic acid as a pH adjuster or reactive input, this product delivers that concentration directly from the container. If you only need acid for light surface cleaning or dilute rinse applications, stepping down to a 10% or 30% product reduces your handling burden. If your synthesis or analytical work demands higher purity or higher concentration, move to 75%.
Chemical Profile
This 50% vinegar is a clear, colorless liquid with a pungent vinegar odor characteristic of concentrated acetic acid in aqueous solution. The molecular formula is C₂H₄O₂ with a molecular weight of 60.05 g/mol, registered under CAS 64-19-7. At 20 °C the solution has a density of 1.058 g/mL—slightly denser than water, which matters when calculating volumetric feed rates or confirming receipt of the correct product by hydrometer. Solubility exceeds 100 mg/mL at 73 °F, so it mixes freely with water at any practical dilution ratio. Vapor pressure runs 11.4 mmHg at 68 °F and climbs to 20 mmHg at 86 °F; headspace vapor concentration rises fast in warm-weather operations or heated process environments, making ventilation design a real engineering consideration rather than a formality.
Industrial Applications
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pH Control in Water Treatment — Acetic acid at 50% is a widely used pH-depression agent in municipal and industrial water treatment. Operators dose it into process streams to bring alkaline influent into the target pH band. Its advantage over mineral acids like sulfuric or hydrochloric in certain systems is that the acetate anion is biodegradable and does not contribute chloride or sulfate loading to the discharge.
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Industrial Cleaning and Descaling — Concentrated acetic acid dissolves calcium carbonate, lime scale, and hard-water mineral deposits in CIP (clean-in-place) circuits, heat exchangers, and process piping. At 50% strength it works faster than dilute vinegar solutions, reducing downtime between cleaning cycles. Operators typically dilute to a working concentration matched to the deposit type and substrate material.
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Chemical Manufacturing — Acetic acid is a foundational reagent in organic synthesis—used in the production of vinyl acetate monomer, acetic anhydride, cellulose acetate, and a range of acetate esters. A 50% aqueous solution provides a convenient, pumpable feed for reactor dosing systems that call for an aqueous acid charge rather than glacial-strength material.
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Food Processing — In food-grade manufacturing environments, acetic acid serves as a pH adjuster, preservative, and flavoring agent. This product is listed as technical grade; buyers whose process requires a food-grade designation should confirm that the product specification and accompanying documentation align with their facility's quality requirements before use.
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Solvent and Extraction Medium — Acetic acid acts as a polar protic solvent in extraction and purification processes across pharmaceutical, agricultural, and specialty chemical operations. The 50% aqueous form is easier to handle and meter than glacial acetic acid while still providing sufficient acid activity for many extraction protocols.
Handling & Storage
Signal word: Danger. The H314 hazard statement indicates this product causes severe skin burns and serious eye damage (per the product's GHS classification). Treat every exposure pathway—skin, eyes, inhalation—as a genuine risk at this concentration.
PPE: Chemical splash goggles, face shield, chemical-resistant gloves (butyl rubber or nitrile, verified against acetic acid permeation data), and a chemical-resistant apron are the minimum for transfer and handling operations. In enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces, use respiratory protection rated for organic acid vapors.
Storage: Keep containers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight and heat sources. Use HDPE, polypropylene, or glass containers—acetic acid corrodes most metals, and vapor-phase attack on carbon steel in headspace is aggressive even at ambient temperature. Keep containers closed when not actively dispensing to limit vapor accumulation.
Incompatibilities: Avoid contact with strong oxidizers (permanganates, peroxides, chromates), strong bases, and reactive metals. Acetic acid reacts vigorously with oxidizing agents and can generate heat and pressure in closed containers.
Spill response: Contain with inert absorbent, neutralize carefully with soda ash or lime, and dispose of in accordance with local regulations. Vapor suppression with water fog is effective for large spills in warm conditions.
Hazmat & Shipping
This product is regulated as a hazardous material for transport. The classification details, each governed by federal regulation:
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UN Number: UN2790 (per 49 CFR 172.101)
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Hazard Class: 8 — Corrosive (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 solution, with not less than 50 percent but not more than 80 percent acid, by mass (per 49 CFR 172.101)
All outbound shipments are prepared, marked, labeled, and documented by hazmat-trained personnel in compliance with 49 CFR. The shipping classification governs packaging, labeling, and placarding requirements—your receiving facility should confirm its own DOT acceptance procedures and any site-specific handling protocols before delivery.
Documentation
A Safety Data Sheet ships with every order, available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A lot-specific Certificate of Analysis is available on request—contact us with your order number or lot number to obtain one. A Technical Data Sheet is also available for this product.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
This product is available in nine distinct container sizes from 1-quart bottles to 330-gallon totes—so whether you need a single quart for a bench trial or a tote for a continuous process line, the packaging matches your operation without repackaging or third-party splits. Alliance Chemical has served over 50,000 customers since 1998, and our shipping and handling guidance for this product is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist (USDOT #2188383), to ensure that every corrosive shipment leaves our Taylor, TX facility classified, packaged, and documented correctly.
