acetic acid
A volatile, colorless acid (CH 3M
COOH), prepared by the oxidation of acetaldehyde,
by oxidation of ethyl alcohol, or by the
distillation of wood. It is used extensively in
the manufacture of CELLULOSE ACETATE ,
and has been used for washing leather bindings to
remove grease prior to tooling. Being a relatively
weak organic acid, as well as volatile, it is not
considered to be particularly harmful to paper or
leather, and is to be preferred to ordinary
vinegar in preparing leather or book edges for
tooling or gilding, as vinegar is likely to
contain traces of sulfuric acid. (198 )
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