Glacial Acetic Acid & Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM)

Glacial acetic acid 99.8%+ and hydroquinone-inhibited VAM

Glacial acetic acid (HS 2915.21) is sold at 99.8% and above; ASTM D3620 covers glacial acetic acid at 99.8% for paint, varnish and lacquer use and tests purity, freezing point, colour, water, iron, acetaldehyde and formic acid, and producers commonly sell against a 99.85% minimum on their own sheets. It is the solvent in PTA plants and the feedstock for vinyl acetate, ethyl and butyl acetate solvents, cellulose acetate and textile processing. It is UN 2789, Class 8 corrosive with a Class 3 subsidiary risk, packing group II. Vinyl acetate monomer (HS 2915.32) is made from acetic acid, ethylene and oxygen and polymerises into polyvinyl acetate and vinyl acetate-ethylene emulsions for wood glue, paper and packaging adhesives and emulsion paints, polyvinyl alcohol and EVA. VAM ships inhibited with hydroquinone; ASTM D2193 measures hydroquinone in VAM at 1-20 ppm. It is UN 1301, Class 3 flammable liquid. UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 2915.21 total about USD 1.60 billion: China USD 407 million and 1.16 million MT, the USA USD 384 million and 0.81 million MT, Malaysia USD 190 million and 0.47 million MT, Belgium USD 143 million, Singapore USD 111 million, Taiwan USD 110 million and Korea USD 83 million. Under HS 2915.32 VAM exports total about USD 1.65 billion: the USA USD 554 million and 0.59 million MT, Singapore USD 325 million and 0.41 million MT, Belgium USD 192 million, Korea USD 88 million and Taiwan USD 81 million.

The acetic acid buyer is a PTA plant, an acetate ester or VAM producer, a textile or pharmaceutical processor or a chemical distributor; the VAM buyer is an emulsion, adhesive, paint or EVA producer. Both trade on ICIS, Platts and Argus assessments in Asia, Europe and the US, and on monthly contracts. Parcels move in stainless-steel or coated chemical tankers under the IBC Code, with ship type and pollution category per chapter 17 on the certificate of fitness; smaller lots move in ISO tanks, 1,000 L IBCs and drums. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers glacial acetic acid and VAM from Chinese, US, Malaysian, Singaporean, Taiwanese, Korean and Belgian producers' offtake and trader parcels, against the producer's certificate of analysis, SGS or Intertek inspection at load, safety data sheets, certificates of origin and REACH registration confirmation for EU imports, on FOB, CFR and CIF terms. Send the product, purity or inhibitor level, volume, delivery form and discharge port.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.