Introduction of Acetone
Acetone, also known as dimethyl ketone and propanone, is the simplest, smallest, and most important of all the aliphatic (fat-derived) ketones. Pure acetone is a colorless, clear liquid. It is somewhat aromatic with a pleasant fruity odor and is a volatile, flammable liquid.
Let us discuss more details about the structure, uses, and properties of Acetone from this article.
Properties
Acetone is a highly miscible liquid. It readily dissolves in substances like water, ethanol, ether etc. Its freezing point is −94.7 °C. Its boiling point is 56.05 °C, while its flash point is −20 °C. Its molecular formula is CH3COCH3. Its IUPAC name is Propan-2-one. Acetone can dissolve many fats and multiple resins as well as substances like cellulose acetate, nitrocellulose, and other cellulose ethers.
Occurrance
Acetone naturally occurs in plants, trees, volcanic gases, forest fires, and as a product of the breakdown of body fat. It is also found in small quantities in normal urine and blood, while the concentration may be higher in diabetic patients. We can detect traces of it in vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke, and landfill sites. It is found among the many products formed in the destructive distillation of materials like wood, sugar, and cellulose, etc.
The organic compound for the Acetone, or the Propanone, has the formula (CH3)2CO. It is important for the students of Chemistry to learn about Acetone, and for learning the topic of Acetone, students are required to have a good explanation of the same as well, so that the process of learning becomes easy for the students. And hence Vedantu provides the students with such an explanation of the topic of Acetone, which is easy to understand and comprehend, and it includes everything about the topic of Acetone, such as its structure, Uses and Properties.
An Overview of the Acetone
As said earlier, Acetone is also known as Propanone, and its chemical formula is (CH3)2CO. Let us understand the meaning of Ketone is a functional group in Chemistry, and has R2C=O, where any carbon-containing substituents can be represented by R. Now coming to the Acetone, it is also a Ketone, and of all the ketone, Acetone is one of the simplest and smallest ketones. Acetone is a highly volatile, colorless, flammable liquid, which has a pungent odor.
With water Acetone is miscible, that is to say, it mixes with water in all the proportions and thus forms a homogeneous mixture. In many industries, Acetone serves the purpose of an important organic solvent, and along with the industries it does the same in households and laboratories. For household items, Acetone is an active ingredient in items like nail polish remover, paint thinner.
History of Acetone
Acetone was first produced and used by alchemists during the late Middle Ages. The method of manufacture at that time was via the dry distillation of metal acetates, like lead acetates. It was also called the ‘spirit of Saturn’ because it was primarily produced with lead acetate, which contains lead. Lead has the same symbol as the astrological symbol for the planet Saturn.
French chemist Jean-Baptise Dumas and German chemist Justus von Liebig determined the empirical formula for acetone in 1832. French chemist Antoine Bussy named acetone by adding the suffix -one to the stem of the corresponding acid, that is acetic acid in 1833. In 1852, an English chemist named Alexander William Williamson realized that acetone was nothing but methyl acetyl. French chemist Charles Fredric concurred with the findings of Williams in the following year. In 1861 Johann Josef Loschmidt presented the structure of acetone but he did not receive any attention at that time. German Chemist August Kekule published the modern structural formula for acetone in 1865. Chaim Weizmann developed the process for the industrial production of acetone during World War I. This process is widely used to this day and is known as the Weizmann Process.
Ca (CH3COO)2 → CaO(s) + CO2(g) + (CH3)2CO
Production of Acetone
Acetone is mostly produced directly or indirectly from propylene. Roughly 83% of acetone is produced by the cumene process. Since this process requires phenol, acetone production is tied to phenol production. In the cumene process, benzene is treated with alkaline propylene to produce cumene, which is oxidized by air to produce phenol and acetone.
Other than this method, the direct oxidation of propylene (also known as the Wacker-Hoechst process) or the hydration of propylene to give propanol, which can be oxidized to acetone can also be used.
The United States has the highest production capacity of acetone, followed by Taiwan and China. The largest company which produces acetone is INEOS Phenol, owning 17% of the world’s capacity. It also owns the world’s largest production site, in Beveren, Belgium, which has the capacity to produce 420,000 tonnes each year.
Uses of Acetone
Solvent
Chemical Intermediate
Laboratory Use
Medical and Cosmetic Uses
Other Domestic uses
Solvent – Acetone is a good usable solvent for many plastics and a few synthetic fibers. It is used to dissolve two-part epoxies and superglue before they harden. It is also used for thinning polyester resin and cleaning tools with it. It is used in paints and varnishes as a volatile component. It is useful in the preparation of metal before painting as a heavy-duty degreaser. It is used to remove rosin flux after high-reliability soldering applications, and thus prevent the rusty bolt effect.
Acetone also functions as a solvent in the pharmaceutical industry and is used as a denaturant in denatured alcohols. Acetone is also present as an excipient in multiple pharmaceutical drugs
Although it is somewhat flammable, acetone is used as a solvent during the storage and transportation of acetylene, which cannot be pressurized as a pure compound. Hence acetylene is dissolved in acetone while being transported. One-third of the world's acetone is used as a solvent.
Chemical Intermediate – Acetone is used to synthesize compounds like methyl methacrylate. It involves a conversion of acetone to acetone cyanohydrin, followed by nitrite being hydrolyzed to an unsaturated amide, which is then esterified.
(CH3)2CO + HCN → (CH3)2C(OH)CN
(CH3)2C(OH)CN + CH3OH → CH2=(CH3) CCO2CH3 + NH3
Synthesis of bisphenol A is another major use of acetone. Many polycarbonates, polyurethanes, and epoxy resins constitute bisphenol-A. The synthesis of bisphenol A involves the condensation of phenol along with acetone.
(CH3)2CO + 2 C6H5OH → (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2 + H2O
Another major use of acetone is in the production of solvents methyl isobutyl alcohol and methyl isobutyl ketone. These products arise through the process of aldol condensation and give diacetone alcohol.
2 (CH3)2CO → (CH3)2C(OH)CH2C(O)CH3
Laboratory Use – Acetone functions as a polar aprotic solvent in a variety of organic reactions such as SN2 reactions in the laboratory. In the process of Jones oxidation, the use of acetone is critical. It does not form an azeotrope with water, which means it has a different boiling point than water when dissolved in it. Added to this its low cost and volatility, it is commonly used as a rinsing agent in laboratory glassware. Acetone can be cooled to a low temperature up to −78 °C by using dry ice, hence is used to conduct reactions at a lower temperature. Since acetone is fluorescent under ultraviolet light, its vapor is an ideal fluorescent tracer in fluid flow experiments. Acetone is also sometimes used as a precipitator for proteins.
Medical and Cosmetic Use – Acetone is widely used in many general medicines and cosmetic products. It is also a component listed as a food additive and used in nail polish remover and paints thinner. Dermatologists for acne treatments use acetone to peel off dry skin.
Acetone is also used in chemical peeling treatments. Prior to chemexfoliation, acetone is used to clean the skin and remove excess fat.
Other Domestic Uses – Acetone is used in nail polish remover and paint thinners. Acetone is a component of superglue remover too. It also removes residue from glass and porcelain. It is also used by makeup artists to remove skin adhesives.
Vapor polishing of printing artifacts on 3-D printed models applies acetone. This technique is called acetone vapor bath smoothing. Low-grade acetone is also sometimes used as a glassware rinsing agent for removing residue in academic laboratories before a final wash.
Extra-terrestrial Occurrence of Acetone
On 30 July 2015, upon the first touchdown of Philae lander on the surface of comet 67P, scientists reported that measurements by COSAC and Ptolemy instruments revealed sixteen organic compounds on the surface of the comet. Four of these organic compounds were not seen on any other comet before this occasion. One of the four organic compounds happened to be acetone.
FAQs on Acetone
1. Is understanding the topic of Acetone difficult?
No, understanding the topic of Acetone is not difficult at all. Because the topic of Acetone is chosen by taking the intellectual capacity of the students in mind, and hence it has a difficulty level which suits the students of your class, that is to say, it is not much difficult, but it is not extremely easy either, in which you may find it like child’s play. There is one more thing to note here, as long as you are studying the topic of Acetone carefully it is never going to be difficult for you.
2. Is it necessary for me to study the topic of Acetone?
Yes, it is absolutely necessary for the students to study and completely understand the topic of Acetone. Because, as said earlier, it is included in the syllabus, and therefore it automatically becomes important for the students. Also, learning the topic of Acetone helps the students in understanding the chemistry in a better manner, and also in scoring good marks in the exam. And last but not in any case least, is that if you wish to master the subject of chemistry, then you have to learn all the topics in it, including Acetone.
3. How can I learn the topic of Acetone in a better manner?
If you wish to master the topic of Acetone, then all you have to do is to first check out the scope of the topic, that is to say, see what is the sub-topic included in it. And see how much you already know. After that, find a good explanation of the Acetone and read the same thoroughly, take notes whenever you feel it necessary, and revise everything. Lastly, all you have to do is to test yourself and for that, you must solve the questions on the topic of Acetone.
4. Where can I find a good explanation for the topic of Acetone?
If you are looking for a good explanation for the topic of Acetone, so you do not have to look anywhere else, because Vedantu has got your cover. And that is because Vedantu provides the students with a complete explanation for the topic of Acetone, which includes the meaning of Acetone, its uses in different areas, and its properties as well. And all these explanations of Acetone, Vedantu provides in an easy to understand language, and also all of this is completely free of cost as well.
5. Why should I refer to Vedantu for the explanation of the Acetone?
For any student of chemistry, the process of learning has to be as easy and as simple as possible, because you, as a student, has to cover a lot of syllabi and have to learn lots of topics and if the explanation is complex then, you are going to spend lots and lots of time on each of the topics. Which is ultimately going to be stressful for you. And hence, Vedantu provides the students with a complete explanation of the topic of Acetone, in a simple and lucid language, so that you can understand everything easily.