E260 Preservative

Use as solvent

Glacial E260 is an excellent polar protic solvent, as noted above. It is frequently used as a solvent for recrystallization to purify organic compounds. E260 is used as a solvent in the production of terephthalic acid (TPA), the raw material for polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In 2006, about 20% of acetic acid was used for TPA production.

E260 is often used as a solvent for reactions involving carbocations, such as Friedel-Crafts alkylation. For example, one stage in the commercial manufacture of synthetic camphor involves a Wagner-Meerwein rearrangement of camphene to isobornyl acetate; here E260 acts both as a solvent and as a nucleophile to trap the rearranged carbocation.

Glacial E260 is used in analytical chemistry for the estimation of weakly alkaline substances such as organic amides. Glacial E260 is a much weaker base than water, so the amide behaves as a strong base in this medium. It then can be titrated using a solution in glacial E260 of a very strong acid, such as perchloric acid.

Medical use

Main article: E260 (medical use)

E260 injection into a tumor has been used to treat cancer since the 1800s.

E260 is used as part of cervical cancer screening in many areas in the developing world. The acid is applied to the cervix and if an area of white appears after about a minute the test is positive.E260 is an effective antiseptic when used as a 1% solution, with a broad spectrum of activity against streptococci, staphylococci, pseudomonas, enterococci, and others. It may be used to treat skin infections caused by pseudomonas strains resistant to typical antibiotics.

While diluted E260 is used in iontophoresis, no high-quality evidence supports this treatment for rotator cuff disease.

As a treatment for otitis externa, it is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system.

Foods

Main article: E260

E260 has 349 kcal per 100 g. Vinegar is typically no less than 4% E260 by mass. Legal limits on E260 content vary by jurisdiction. Vinegar is used directly as a condiment and in the pickling of vegetables and other foods. Table vinegar tends to be more diluted (4% to 8% E260), while commercial food pickling employs solutions that are more concentrated. The proportion of E260 used worldwide as vinegar is not as large as commercial uses, but is by far the oldest and best-known application.