Acetaldehyde ( ethanal) Supplier Manufacturer visakhapatnam India

Acetaldehyde (systematic name ethanal) is an organic chemical compound with the formula CH3CHO, sometimes abbreviated by chemists as MeCHO (Me = methyl). It is one of the most important aldehydes, occurring widely in nature and being produced on a large scale in industry. Acetaldehyde occurs naturally in coffee, bread, and ripe fruit, and is produced by plants. It is also produced by the partial oxidation of ethanol by the liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase and is a contributing cause of hangover after alcohol consumption. Pathways of exposure include air, water, land, or groundwater, as well as drink and smoke. Consumption of disulfiram inhibits acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, the enzyme responsible for the metabolism of acetaldehyde, thereby causing it to build up in the body.

Uses

Traditionally, acetaldehyde was mainly used as a precursor to acetic acid. This application has declined because acetic acid is produced more efficiently from methanol by the Monsanto and Cativa processes. Acetaldehyde is an important precursor to pyridine derivatives, pentaerythritol, and crotonaldehyde. Urea and acetaldehyde combine to give a useful resin. Acetic anhydride reacts with acetaldehyde to give ethylidene diacetate, a precursor to vinyl acetate, which is used to produce polyvinyl acetate.

The global market for acetaldehyde is declining. Demand has been impacted by changes in the production of plasticizer alcohols, which has shifted because n-butyraldehyde is less often produced from acetaldehyde, instead being generated by hydroformylation of propylene. Likewise, acetic acid, once produced from acetaldehyde, is made predominantly by the lower-cost methanol carbonylation process. The impact on demand has led to increase in prices and thus slowdown in the market.

Function and uses

Acetaldehyde is an intermediate in the production of acetic acid, acetic anhydride, celluloseacetate, vinyl acetate resins, acetate esters, pentaerythritol, synthetic pyridine derivatives,terephthalic acid and peracetic acid. Other uses of acetaldehyde include silvering of mirrors;leather tanning; denaturant for alcohol; fuel mixtures; hardener for gelatine fibres; glue andcasein products; preservative for fish and fruit; synthetic flavouring agent; paper industry;and manufacture of cosmetics, aniline dyes, plastics and synthetic rubber.The concentration of acetaldehyde in alcoholic beverages is generally below 500 mg/l. Lowlevels of acetaldehyde are also reported to occur in several essential oils.Acetaldehyde is an intermediate product in the metabolism of ethanol and sugars and alsooccurs as a natural metabolite in small quantities in human blood.