Acetic Acid Glacial the chemical formula CH3CO2H (also known as CH3COOH). It is a colourless liquid that when undiluted is also called glacial acetic acid. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar, apart from water, vinegar is roughly 8% acetic acid by volume, and has a distinctive sour taste and pungent smell. Besides its production as household vinegar, it is mainly produced as a precursor to polyvinylacetate and cellulose acetate.
Although it is classified as a weak acid, concentrated acetic acid is corrosive, and attacks the skin. Liquid acetic acid is a hydrophilic (polar) protic solvent, similar to ethanol and water. With a moderate relative static permittivity (dielectric constant) of 6.2, it dissolves not only polar compounds such as inorganic salts and sugars, but also non-polar compounds such as oils and elements such as sulfur and iodine.