acetate

acetate, one of the most important forms of artificial cellulose-based fibers; the ester of acetic acid. The first patents for the production of fibers from cellulose acetate appeared at the beginning of the 20th cent. During World War I, production of acetylcellulose began on an industrial scale for military applications. Acetate fibers are basically delivered in the form of a continuous textile yarn. Their principal use is in the production of widely used consumer goods, such as men's shirts, women's blouses, underwear, ties, bathing suits, jersey jackets and sweaters, suit fabrics, coats, and sports clothing.

C₂H₃O₂⁻ ion, a salt, ester, or acylal derived from acetic acid. Acetates are important in the biochemical synthesis of fats from carbohydrates in plants and animals. Industrially, metal acetates are used in printing, vinyl acetate in plastic production, cellulose acetate in photographic films and textiles (one of the first synthetic fibres, often called simply acetate), and volatile organic esters as solvents.

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An acetate, or ethanoate, is either a salt or ester of acetic acid.

Acetate - C₂H₃O₂

In organic chemistry, the abbreviation Ac refers to the acetyl group. The anion and the functional group may be written as ⁻OAc and AcO⁻, or OAc respectively. Examples include HOAc for acetic acid, NaOAc for sodium acetate, and EtOAc for ethyl acetate. Ac is also the symbol for the chemical element actinium, but confusion between actinium and the acetyl group is rare, since actinium has virtually no role in organic chemistry.

Salt

The acetate anion, [CH₃COO]⁻, is a carboxylate and is the conjugate base of acetic acid. The acetate ion is formed by the deprotonation of acetic acid:

CH₃COOH ⇌ CH₃COO⁻ + H⁺

Ester

An acetate ester is an ester of acetic acid, with the general formula CH₃COOR, where R is an organyl group.

Acetate can also refer to cellulose acetate, especially fibres or other derived products such as the acetate disc used in audio record production. Cellulose acetate can be found in many household products.

Structures

See also

• Acetylation
• Cellulose acetate
• Sodium acetate