Uses of acetone

a) As a solvent in industry
Acetone is a good solvent for many plastics and some synthetic fibers. It is used for
thinning polyester resin, cleaning tools used with it, and dissolving two-part epoxies and
superglue before they harden. It is used as one of the volatile components of some
paints and varnishes. As a heavy-duty degreaser, it is useful in the preparation of metal
prior to painting. It is also useful for high reliability soldering applications to remove rosin
flux after soldering is complete this helps to prevent the rusty bolt effect (Green, M. M., &
Wittcoff, H. A.,2006). Acetone is used as a solvent by the pharmaceutical industry and
as a denaturant in denatured alcohol. Acetone is also present as an excipient in some
pharmaceutical drugs. Although itself flammable, acetone is used extensively as a
solvent for the safe transportation and storage of acetylene, which cannot be safely
pressurized as a pure compound. Vessels containing a porous material are first filled
with acetone followed by acetylene, which dissolves into the acetone. One liter of
acetone can dissolve around 250 liters of acetylene at a pressure of 10 bars (Issac,
D.,2001)

b) As a chemical intermediate
Acetone is used to synthesize methyl methacrylate. It begins with the initial conversion
of acetone to acetone cyanohydrin:

(CH3)2CO + HCN → (CH3)2C(OH)CN

In a subsequent step, the nitrile is hydrolyzed to the unsaturated amide, which

is esterified:

(CH3)2C(OH)CN + CH3OH → CH2=(CH3)CCO2CH3 + NH3

The third major use of acetone (about 20%) is synthesizing bisphenol A. Bisphenol A is
a component of many polymers such as polycarbonates, polyurethanes, and epoxy
resins. The synthesis involves the condensation of acetone with phenol:

(CH3)2CO + 2 C6H5OH → (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2 + H2O

 Many millions of kilograms of acetone are consumed in the production of the solvents
methyl isobutyl alcohol and methyl isobutyl ketone. These products arise via an
initial aldol condensation to give diacetone alcohol.

2 (CH3)2CO → (CH3)2C(OH)CH2C(O)CH3

Condensation with acetylene gives 2-methylbut-3-yn-2-ol, precursor to

synthetic terpenes and terpenoids (Levy, A. B., & Sifniades, S.,2005)

c) In laboratory
In the laboratory, acetone is used as a polar, aprotic solvent in a variety of organic
reactions, such as SN2 reactions. The use of acetone solvent is critical for the Jones
oxidation. It does not form an azeotrope with water. It is a common solvent for rinsing
laboratory glassware because of its low cost and volatility. Despite its common use as a
supposed drying agent, it is not effective except by bulk displacement and dilution.
Acetone can be cooled with dry ice to −78 °C without freezing acetone/dry ice baths are
commonly used to conduct reactions at low temperatures. Acetone is fluorescent under
ultraviolet light, and its vapor can be used as a fluorescent tracer in fluid flow
experiments. Acetone also used to precipitate proteins. Alternatives for protein
precipitation are trichloroacetic acid and ethanol (Levy, A. B., & Sifniades, S.,2005).

d) In medical and cosmetic industry

Acetone is used in a variety of general medical and cosmetic applications and is also
listed as a component in food additives and food packaging and also in nail polish
remover. Dermatologists use acetone with alcohol for acne treatments to peel dry skin.
Acetone is commonly used in chemical peeling. Common agents used today for
chemical peels are salicylic acid, glycolic acid, 30% salicylic acid in ethanol, and
trichloroacetic acid (TCA). Prior to chemexfoliation, the skin is cleaned and excess fat
removed in a process called defatting. Acetone, Septisol, or a combination of these
agents is commonly used in this process (Ruddick, JA,1972)
 e) Domestic and other niche uses
Acetone is often the primary component in cleaning agents such as nail polish remover.
Acetone is a component of superglue remover and easily removes residues from glass
and porcelain. Make-up artists use acetone to remove skin adhesive from the netting of
wigs and mustaches by immersing the item in an acetone bath, then removing the
softened glue residue with a stiff brush. Acetone is often used for vapor polishing of
printing artifacts on 3D-printed models printed with ABS plastic. The technique, called
acetone vapor bath smoothing, involves placing the printed part in a sealed chamber
containing a small amount of acetone, and heating to around 80 degrees Celsius for 10
minutes. This creates a vapor of acetone in the container. The acetone condenses
evenly all over the part, causing the surface to soften and liquefy. Surface tension then
smooth the semi-liquid plastic. When the part is removed from the chamber, the acetone
component evaporates leaving a glassy-smooth part free of striation, patterning, and
visible layer edges, common features in untreated 3D printed parts. Low-grade acetone
is also commonly used in academic laboratory settings as a glassware rinsing agent for
removing residue and solids before a final wash (Simpson, Deborah M.; Beynon, Robert
J.,2009).

Disadvantages of Acetone

a) Human
Acetone can be extremely harmful to human health if the use of a product containing
acetone is abused and used improperly, or if exposed at high levels of concentration and
for long periods of time. Humans are exposed to acetone through inhalation, ingestion,
and absorption through the skin. Once humans are exposed to acetone, it is absorbed
into their bloodstream which is carried to the organs throughout their body. Acetone
poses as a health risk to humans as it has many harmful effects.

Acetone has proven to be highly flammable and therefore can explode or ignite easily,
endangering nearby humans of serious burns. When acetone is oxidized, it forms
acetone peroxide which is a highly unstable compound which can be formed
accidentally, and therefore is highly reactive and an explosive chemical.

If you come into contact with acetone, it has the ability to damage your skin through the
depletion of moisture and oils, leaving it dry, brittle, and likely to peel. This would only be
 considered a minor result of exposure to acetone. Moderate-to-high levels of exposure
to acetone for short periods of time can cause chronic toxicity and nose, throat, lung,
and eye irritation. It can also result in headaches, fatigue, light-headedness, dizziness,
confusion, increased pulse rate, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and the
shortening of menstrual cycle in women. Exposure to highly concentrated amounts of
acetone and its vapors can cause irritation of the respiratory tract, burning of the eyes,
and skin irritation and tissue damage.

Reproductive toxicity tests have proven that acetone can cause reproduction problems,
especially in men. Acetone can also depress the central nervous system. Animal studies
have shown that long exposure to acetone can negatively affect the liver, kidney, cause
nerve damage, and present birth defects. Exposure to high levels of acetone can cause
extreme negative effects such as unconsciousness, seizures, respiratory distress, and in
the worst scenario, death.

b) Environment
Although acetone occurs naturally in the environment through decomposing vegetation,
volcanic gases, and forest fires, the majority (97%) of the chemical released into the
atmosphere is created from industrial purposes.

Acetone is an extremely flammable liquid at room temperature and it also releases a

vapour that can form an explosive mixture with the air. The acetone that is released into
the environment from a manufacturing origin, is also intensely flammable. These
vapours can ignite from something as small as a static discharge, and they can catch
afire from a distance, thus the chemical in our atmosphere can be remarkably dangerous
in our environment. Acetone is also evident in water, and even when it is diluted to 1%, it
can still be flammable. With this chemical present in our environment, forests, structures,
habitats, and animals, are more likely to be harmed. Many more forest fires can rupture
from the hazardous substance, with the potential of burning acres of plantation and
harming not only animals habitats, but animals themselves.
Not only is acetone's extreme flammability a risk to the environment, but it also poses a
significant risk to the oxygen depletion in aquatic systems due to the microbial
consumption. Because acetone occurs naturally in the environment, our goal is to
minimize and possibly eliminate the exposure of acetone from manufacturing or
industrial purposes from the environment (Munchix, A.,1984)
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practice. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH.
2. Issac, D. (2001). Primary producers chemical handbook. Payneham, S.: Combined
Rural Traders.
3. Levy, A. B., & Sifniades, S. (2005). Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry.
Weinheim: Wiley-VCH.
4. Simpson, Deborah M.; Beynon, Robert J. (2009). "Acetone precipitation of proteins
and the modification of peptides". Journal of Proteome Research. page 444–450.
5. Ruddick, JA (1972). "Toxicology, metabolism, and biochemistry of 1,2-propanediol".
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. Page 102–111.
6. Munchix, A. (1984). Chemical safety: An agenda for continued progress in the
control of toxic pollutants. Springfield, IL: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.