Acrylic acid, or commonly known as vinyl formic acid, is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid composed of a vinyl group directly attached to a carboxylic end. It has a characteristic odor and exhibits all typical reactions of carboxylic acids. Acrylic acid readily polymerizes in the presence of heat, light, metal, or oxygen, and it mixes with water, alcohol, chloroform, and ether in any proportion. Due to these properties, it is widely used in plastic manufacturing.
Features
Application Areas
- Molar Mass: 72.063 g/mol
- Appearance: Clear, colorless liquid
- Odor: Pungent
- Density: 1.051 g/mL
- Melting Point: 14 °C (57 °F; 287 K)
- Boiling Point: 141 °C (286 °F; 414 K)
- Solubility in Water: Miscible
- Vapor Pressure: 3 mmHg
- Viscosity: 1.3 cP at 20 °C (68 °F)
- When acrylic acid reacts with an alcohol, it forms the respective product, similar to a typical carboxylic acid. Both acrylic acid itself and its esters, due to the double bonds they contain, readily undergo reactions with each other and with other monomers, forming raw materials used in various industries such as plastics, coatings, adhesives, and more.
- Because of its tendency to undergo polymerization, acrylic acid is used as a primary starting material in the production of plastics. Additionally, it serves as a raw material for various products, including molded construction materials, water treatment chemicals, diapers, textiles, optical devices, jewelry, and woven fibers. It is also utilized as a surface activator.