Question

How is acetic acid prepared from acetylene?

Answer 1

Step 1. Conversion of acetylene to acetaldehyde.

• Acetylene is converted into acetaldehyde by passing through 40 percent of Sulfuric acid $\left({\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4\right)$ in the presence of one percent of Mercury(II) sulfate $\left({\mathrm{HgSO}}_4\right)$ at$60°C$.

$\underset{\mathrm{Acetylne}}{{\mathrm{C}}_2{\mathrm{H}}_2}+\underset{\mathrm{Water}}{{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}}\stackrel{{\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4\left(\mathrm{dil}\right){\mathrm{HgSO}}_4}{\to }\underset{\mathrm{Acetaldehyde}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{CHO}}$

Step 2: Oxidation of Acetaldehyde

• Aldehydes on oxidation give carboxylic acid.
• Acetaldehyde is oxidized to acetic acid in the presence of catalyst manganese acetate at $70°C.$
• The chemical reaction of the preparation of acetic acid from Acetaldehyde.

$\underset{\mathrm{Acetaldehyde}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{CHO}}+\left[\mathrm{O}\right]\stackrel{∆}{\underset{\mathrm{Mn}{\left({\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COO}\right)}_2}{\to }}\underset{\mathrm{Acetic}\mathrm{acid}}{{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COOH}}$