Product Overview
Acrylic Acid, also known as 2-Propenoic Acid or Prop-2-enoic Acid, is an important unsaturated carboxylic acid and a key raw material for the production of acrylates, acrylic polymers, resins, coatings, adhesives, superabsorbent polymers, and various specialty chemicals.
Acrylic Acid has the molecular formula C₃H₄O₂ and a molecular weight of 72.06 g/mol. Its CAS Number is 79-10-7, and its IUPAC name is prop-2-enoic acid.
At room temperature, Acrylic Acid is generally a clear, colorless liquid with a characteristic sharp or acrid odor. It is miscible with water and many organic solvents and has a highly reactive carbon-carbon double bond, making it an important monomer for polymerization and chemical synthesis.
Chemical Structure and Properties
Acrylic Acid contains both a vinyl group (C=C) and a carboxyl group (-COOH). This combination gives the molecule two important characteristics: high polymerization reactivity and acidic functionality.
The carbon-carbon double bond enables Acrylic Acid to participate in addition polymerization and copolymerization reactions, while the carboxyl group provides hydrophilicity, acidity, and the ability to form salts and various derivatives.
These properties make Acrylic Acid particularly valuable for producing:
Acrylate esters
Acrylic copolymers
Superabsorbent polymers
Water-treatment polymers
Adhesives and sealants
Coatings and binders
Textile and leather treatment agents
PubChem identifies Acrylic Acid as an α,β-unsaturated monocarboxylic acid and lists its SMILES structure as C=CC(=O)O.
Key Characteristics of Acrylic Acid
1. High Polymerization Reactivity
The carbon-carbon double bond in Acrylic Acid allows it to polymerize readily under suitable conditions.
It can be used alone to produce polyacrylic acid or copolymerized with other monomers to modify properties such as:
Molecular weight
Water solubility
Adhesion
Flexibility
Dispersing ability
Thickening performance
Absorption capacity
This makes Acrylic Acid an important building block for acrylic polymer chemistry.
2. Excellent Water Compatibility
Acrylic Acid is miscible with water and has strong hydrophilic characteristics. This property is particularly useful in the production of water-soluble polymers, dispersants, thickeners and superabsorbent materials.
3. Reactive Carboxyl Group
The carboxyl group can participate in neutralization, esterification and other chemical reactions.
Through esterification, Acrylic Acid can be converted into important acrylate monomers such as:
Methyl Acrylate
Ethyl Acrylate
2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate
Other specialty acrylates
These derivatives are widely used in coatings, adhesives, textiles, plastics and other polymer applications.
Product Advantages
For industrial applications, Acrylic Acid offers several important advantages:
High Chemical Reactivity
Its vinyl double bond allows efficient polymerization and copolymerization.
Versatile Downstream Chemistry
It can be converted into acrylate esters, polymers, copolymers and other derivatives.
Excellent Water Compatibility
Its strong hydrophilic character makes it suitable for water-soluble polymer systems.
Broad Industrial Applications
It serves as a raw material across coatings, adhesives, water treatment, textiles, paper, plastics and absorbent materials.
Important Polymer Building Block
Acrylic Acid provides a flexible platform for designing polymers with different molecular structures and performance characteristics.
Why Is Acrylic Acid an Important Industrial Raw Material?
Acrylic Acid sits at the center of a broad downstream value chain.
Its chemical structure allows it to be transformed into both acrylate monomers and high-performance acrylic polymers, making it useful across multiple industries.
A simplified industrial chain can be represented as:
Acrylic Acid
↓
Acrylate Esters / Acrylic Polymers / Copolymers
↓
Coatings · Adhesives · Sealants · Water Treatment · SAP · Textiles · Paper · Plastics
This broad versatility makes Acrylic Acid one of the important basic monomers in modern polymer and specialty chemical manufacturing.
Conclusion
Acrylic Acid CAS 79-10-7 is a key unsaturated carboxylic acid and an important building block for the production of acrylate monomers, acrylic polymers and specialty chemicals.
With its high polymerization reactivity, reactive carboxyl group, water compatibility and versatile downstream chemistry, Acrylic Acid is widely used in superabsorbent polymers, water-treatment chemicals, coatings, adhesives, sealants, textiles, leather finishing, paper coatings and plastics.
For manufacturers and formulators, the selection of Acrylic Acid grade, purity, inhibitor system, packaging and storage conditions should be matched to the intended downstream process and application requirements.
