What is acetone?

Acetone (in English Acetone) is an organic compound with the formula C3H6O and a density of 0.79 g/cm ³ and a molar mass of 58.09 g/mol. This chemical compound is called propanol in Ayupak nomenclaturebut it has other names such as dimethyl ketone and β-ketopropane. Acetone is the first and most important member of the ketone family and aliphatic ketones subset. The family of ketones includes the carbonyl functional group, which has a carbon and oxygen atom and a carbon-oxygen double bond, on behalf of which carbon is connected to two other hydrocarbon groups.

Acetone was discovered by an Israeli chemist named Haim Azrael Weizmann. But this material is naturally available in plants and agricultural soil. You can see the Lewis stone structure and the angle of the stone bonds in the photo below:

Because acetone has a very high consumption in the production of nail polish solutions, in many cases, instead of using the name acetone, it is also called nail polish. In general, acetone is the most common organic solvent in chemical processes. Polish removers have two types, Estonian and non-Estonian. The main ingredient of acetone nail polish remover is acetone, but there is no acetone in non-acetone nail polish remover.

Acetone production method

As mentioned, acetone is part of the ketone family. Ketones are produced by the oxidation of alcohols of the second type. Alcohols of the second type are called alcohols in which the carbon attached to their hydroxyl group is attached to two other carbons. For the production of acetone, there are three valid methods, the main of which is the Walker-Hoechst method, which has been known as the industrial method of acetone production since 1964. In the following, we will discuss these three methods:

Walker-Hochst method:

In the Walker-Hoechst method, air oxygen reacts with propene in the liquid phase. This reaction requires divalent palladium chloride as a catalyst. The reaction conditions are such that the temperature should be between 110 and 120 degrees Celsius and the pressure between 10 and 14 bar. This oxidation process must be direct to obtain acetone. You can see the chemical schematic of the Walker-Hoechst reaction below:

CH ₃ CH=CH ₂  + 0.5O _{2 →}  CH ₃ COCH ₃

Walker’s reaction:

This action is done in two ways. One method is that acetone is produced from isopropyl and oxygen at a temperature of 400 to 600 degrees Celsius and a silver or copper catalyst, whose chemical reaction you can see below:

(CH ₃ ) ₂ CHOH + 0.5O ₂  → CH ₃ COCH ₃  + H ₂ O

Also, in another method, using isopropyl and oxygen, at a temperature of 500 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 3 bar, and also using copper or brass as a catalyst, acetone is produced. Its chemical reaction is as follows:

(CH ₃ ) ₂ CHOH → CH ₃ COCH ₃  + H ₂

Hooke’s reaction:

As you know, Hooke’s reaction is to produce ammonia. In this method, acetone is produced as a by-product. In Hook’s method, acetone is produced indirectly with the help of propylene.

Features of acetone

• Escape
• polar
• poisonous
• Colorless
• good smell
• Highly flammable and its fuel formula is as follows:

 (CH ₃ ) ₂ CO+4O ₂ —–> 3CO ₂ +3 H2O

• Very strong solubility of organics
• It is liquid at room temperature.
• It dissolves in water, gasoline, ethanol, methanol, diethyl ether and chloroform.

Use of acetone

• Production of nail polish remover (the most consumption of acetone in the world)
• In reactions related to the synthesis of methyl methacrylate, bisphenol A, diastone alcohol is used as an intermediate.
• Paint remover
• It is used as a solvent in various industries.
• drug manufacturing
• As a mediator in some chemical reactions
• Diluting polyester resins
• fabric production
• Textile industry
• Plastic production
• Use in chromatography test
• One of the gasoline additives
• Degreaser
• artificial fiber
• Before painting metals, acetone is used to clean surfaces.
• Production of skin medicines
• Production of ketone derivatives
• Preparation of explosives
• Cyanohydrin production
• Laboratory equipment cleaner
• In oil production as a catalyst
• Agricultural fertilizers
• In the food industry as an indirect additive

Acetone in the world market

According to the obtained statistics, the consumption of acetone is increasing all over the world. Asia has the highest consumption of acetone because it uses acetone in most of its solvents. The progress rate of acetone consumption in Asia is 5% per year, but in Europe it is 2.5% per year.

Medical tips related to acetone

Studies show that acetone is generally a low-risk substance. For this reason, the World Health Organization has allowed the use of acetone as an indirect food additive. Working with acetone does not require a lot of equipment, but it is better to do it with gloves and a mask. Due to its high solubility, acetone has the ability to dissolve our fat and dry our skin and cause sensitivity. Also, if you inhale acetone, you may experience headaches, dizziness, and nausea. To solve this problem, leave the eruption place and go to the open air and breathe deeply for 10 minutes. If you do not feel better, see a doctor.

Acetone safety tips

Acetone is very flammable, so we should not put it next to flammable materials (if acetone catches fire, you should put out the fire with carbon dioxide powder). Acetone storage environment should be cold and dry. Acetone is even flammable at room temperature. Acetone should not be placed in the vicinity of substances such as nitric acid, trichloromethane, bromine, sulfuric acid and chlorine, because it will cause ignition.

Acetone specifications

chemical formula	CH3COCH3
Molar mass	58.09 g/mol
Appearance	Colorless liquid
CAS Number	67-64-1
melting point	-94.9 °C
Boiling point	56.3 °C
ignition temperature	465 °C
density	0.79 g/ cm3
Vapor pressure (at 20 degrees Celsius)	180mmHg
vapor density	2 g/cm3

Frequently asked questions about acetone

In this section, we will address the most frequently asked questions about acetone:

Is acetone carcinogenic?

Detailed information about this issue has not yet been obtained, but many centers have confirmed acetone. But some nail polish production companies use poor quality materials to produce nail polish and they will cause serious problems. So, acetone is not carcinogenic, but in the production of nail polish removers, some companies use poor quality materials in addition to acetone, which may cause cancer.

Is acetone dangerous for the skin?

Acetone is very exposed to women’s skin because it is used as a nail polish remover. Therefore, this important question should be carefully answered whether it may cause a serious risk or not. As mentioned, acetone is a good solvent and one of the things it dissolves well in is fat. Excessive use of acetone causes fat on the surface of the hand to dissolve, and this causes cracks, wounds, thin skin in the long term, and these events are called dermatitis. Of course, it is clear that using acetone in normal amounts is not dangerous. Even if the situation caused you to use acetone a lot, you should definitely think of a solution for the lost fats of your hands.

Does drinking acetone cause death? How much acetone causes death?

Drinking more than 80 ml of it will cause the death of an adult. Of course, this amount is less for children and it depends on their age and gender.

What points should be followed to work with acetone?

In the medical tips section, the necessary tips for working with acetone are mentioned, but in short, to use acetone, you must observe the following 3 tips:

• Make sure you have gloves, mask and special glasses.
• The place where acetone is used must be well ventilated or outdoors.
• The surface on which the work with acetone is supposed to be done should be a surface that does not wet the liquid.

Acetone is a solvent of what materials?

As mentioned in the properties section, acetone is a very strong solvent of organic materials.

What is the chemical structure of acetone molecule?

It is the first and most important member of the ketone family and aliphatic ketones subset. The family of ketones includes the carbonyl functional group, which has a carbon and oxygen atom and a carbon-oxygen double bond, on behalf of which carbon is connected to two other hydrocarbon groups.

Is acetone the same as nail polish remover?

Polishers are divided into Estonian and non-Estonian categories. Acetone nail polish removers, their main ingredient is acetone, but in non-acetone nail polish removers, there is no acetone or even its derivatives.

Is acetone a type of alcohol?

no They are very different!

Acetone is part of the family of ketones, but alcohol itself is part of a family of hydrocarbons and is not a special type that can be compared with acetone. Ketone (O=C) has a carbon with a double bond with oxygen, which is connected on both sides with a single bond to two other hydrocarbon groups. Alcohol is a family that has a hydroxyl functional group (OH-), hydroxyl is a single bond of oxygen and hydrogen, whose oxygen is attached to a hydrocarbon group from one side.

Why is liquid acetone highly volatile? Why should you check the acetone container?

Unlike water, acetone does not have the ability to hydrogen bond, and in addition, it has a very weak intermolecular bond. Hence, acetone simply evaporates and is volatile. On the other hand, we know that acetone has a poisonous gas and its inhalation is very harmful, so if we do not close the lid of its container well, we have spread a poisonous volatile gas in the environment, which will cause a disaster.

Does acetone have antiseptic properties?

Acetone is often used as a disinfectant. Is this the right thing to do? During the research conducted in the last few years, dilute acetone does not have a good ability to destroy bacteria and viruses, and in general, it has no effect on viruses and bacteria. But acetone in its empty form can kill bacteria, but it still has no effect on viruses.

Is acetone acidic or alkaline?

Acetone has an acid property, but this property is very low and it is not used in the industry as an acid substance. If according to the use of acetone as an acidic substance, they usually use its acidic property by dissolving acetone and one or more other strong acids.

If you have a question in the field of acetone and its application or… that is not answered in this section, be sure to ask in the comments section so that it will be answered.