Production of Aspirin: Traditional Methods
Aspirin, also known as acetylsalicylic acid, is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. It is mostly known to be used as a painkiller; however, it has multiple health-benefiting properties. It’s second most renowned use is due to its benefits in regards to heart diseases and prevention of heart attacks. Its heart protective properties come from it from asprin’s ability to lower inflammation. Another incredible property of cancer is the ability of a low daily dose of aspirin to lower the chances of colon cancer development, as recommended to most people from ages 50 to 59 by USPSTF in 2016. Furthermore, two studies published in 2018 (JAMA Oncology) found that people who took low doses of aspirin daily tended to have lower rates of ovarian and liver cancers (Park).
In 2019, the aspirin market was valued at US$1.979 billion ("Global Aspirin Market Analysis, Industry Size & Share, 2020 – 2025"). According to WHO, aspirin is one of the most crucial drugs, and annually, around 40 thousand metric tonnes of aspirin are produced worldwide (Mikulic).
Below is the reaction mechanism of aspirin synthesis in presence of an acid catalyst. Synthesis of aspirin from salicylic acid occurs by the acetylation process in an acidic medium. Acetic anhydride reacts with salicylic acid in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce acetylsalicylic acid and acetic acid. Acetylsalicylic acid has a carboxylic acid functional group, an ester functional group, and an aromatic group.
