Uses of Acetone in Chemistry and Industry

Acetone is a colourless liquid at room temperature with a very distinct odour. Acetone is often used as a solvent, and it is also applied to thinning of oil-based paints and cleaning up of oils. It's used as a chemical additive in nail polish remover, to dissolve paint on glass bottles, and even to start up diesel engines.

Definition of Acetone

Acetone is an organic compound with the structural formula (CH₃)2CO. It is the smallest and simplest member of the ketone family, also known as propanone. It is a colourless, volatile, highly flammable liquid used as a solvent in industrial products' manufacture. You can obtain Acetone by heating anhydrous calcium acetate in the laboratory. It is reminiscent of fruit. It is a natural product in the human body due to metabolic processes. It is a manufactured chemical also found naturally in the environment. Pure Acetone contains only the ions or molecules of Acetone. The most common use of Acetone in everyday life is as a nail polish remover.

Uses of Acetone in Daily Life 

• For the preparation of many compounds such as chloroform, sulphonal(a hypnotic), an artificial scent, cordite(a smokeless powder), etc.

• For the extraction of essential oils.

• Conventionally in household products, including cosmetics and natural care products.

• As a solvent to wash the glass apparatus.

• As a cleaning agent to remove harsh greases ranging from fabrics to engines of automobiles or other motor vehicles.

• It keeps your shoes shiny and clean

• It can deep clean your keyboard and stubborn marks from glass windows and metal.

• As a sanitiser for beauty products

• The most crucial use of Acetone is in the medical field in producing pills, tablets, and liquid medicines to maintain the proper density for increasing medicine efficiency.

• Rubber Cement: Acetone is the main ingredient in rubber cement. It produces a strong bond and sets quickly but can dry out and crack over time.

• Adhesives: Acetone is often used in glues, pastes, and adhesives because it dissolves the surfaces to which the substance will be applied. Acetone also acts as a thinner for some of these products.

• Dissolving Agents: Acetone is a good solvent for fats, oils, plastics, and natural rubber. Acetone is used to make paints thinner and dissolve waxes out of cloth.

• Preparation of Explosives: Acetone can be made from sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and red phosphorus. Since both acetone and sodium bicarbonate are very volatile, a violent explosion will result if the ingredients come in contact with fire or a spark.

• In addition, Acetone is sometimes added to gasoline as an additive to make it burn more smoothly.

• Household Cleaner: Mixtures of Acetone, water, and detergents are common in cleaning products meant for wooden surfaces, metal jewellery, glass cookware, and other items. 

• Nail Polish Remover: Acetone is used to remove nail polish by dissolving the ingredients that make it stick to nails. It works especially well with artificial nails when applied sparingly with a cotton ball.

• Oil Cleanup: When oil spills into water, a solution of 1 part acetone to 9 parts water can be used to break up the oil and make it easier for natural bacteria to clean up the spill. However, this should only be done as a last resort since other compounds may have an adverse effect on wildlife.

Industrial Uses of Acetone 

• Acetone is used as a solvent for acetylene, cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, celluloid, varnishes, lacquers, etc. 

• It is added to the natural gas fuel in the petroleum industry to give them better efficiency.

• To remove the oil content from the water's surface in case of any accidental spill thus, saving marine life, which could have died due to depletion of oxygen.

• For the safe transportation of highly flammable chemical fuel, acetylene.

• In the electronic industry for cleaning small electronic gadgets.

Acetone Storage

Acetone must be stored in a jar with a tight lid as it is a highly flammable liquid in a place where there are no stoves or heat-producing sources. Store it in a fireproof container if you have to keep a large amount of Acetone

Safety Tips for Working with Acetone

Acetone can be hazardous to life if not handled appropriately. By taking some simple steps, you ensure a safe environment for yourself as well as for others. The steps you must take while working with Acetone are :

• Make sure you are wearing chemical safety goggles and a shield.

• Wear chemically protected clothing like gloves, boots, aprons, and avoid prolonged contact.

• Make sure the area is well ventilated.

• Make sure the place is dry enough so that the surface does not soak the liquid.

• Keep the fire extinguisher with you.

• Don't mix other compounds or solvents with Acetone.

• Work in a well-ventilated area, so there is no inhalation of the fumes.

• Keep the windows open when you paint.

• Do not smoke or use any type of open flame in the area that is exposed to acetone fumes.

• Make sure there are no open flames or heat sources near you.

• Do not store chlorine or bleach in the same location as Acetone.

• Don't use your acetone container as a wastebasket.

• Do not try to store Acetone in plastic containers as it will dissolve the container over time and corrode metals.

Laboratory Preparation of Acetone

To prepare Acetone in the laboratory, heat it with anhydrous calcium acetate.

(CH₃COO)₂Ca → CH₃COCH₃ + CaCO₃

Take the fused calcium acetate mixed with little iron filings in a retort fitted with a water condenser and a receiver. The reaction is gently heated when Acetone distils over and collects in the receiver. The distillate is shaken with a saturated sodium bisulfite solution to purify the Acetone obtained when you obtain colourless crystals. These crystals on distillation with a saturated sodium carbonate solution give Acetone an aqueous solution, which is dried over anhydrous calcium chloride and redistilled to get pure Acetone.

Chemical Properties of Acetone

In the presence of dry HCl, Acetone condenses together to form mesityl oxide, which further condenses Acetone's third molecule to form phorone.

2 CH₃COCH₃ → C₆H₁₀O + H₂0

C₆H₁₀O + CH₃COCH₃ → C₉H₁₄O

Acetone uses conc. H₂S0₄ to give mesitylene or 1,3,5 trimethylbenzene.

3 CH₃COCH₃ → C₉H₁₂ + 3H₂0

Solved Examples

1. How Can Acetone be Prepared from Acetyl Chloride?

Solution: The best way to achieve Acetone from acetyl chloride in one step is the use of Acetone with dimethyl chloride. Using dimethyl chloride with acetyl chloride gives acetone and cadmium chloride as products.

2 CH₃COCl + Cd(CH₃)₂ → 2 CH₃COCH₃ + CdCl₂

2. How Can Acetone be Prepared from Isopropyl Alcohol?

Solution: Acetone is mainly manufactured from isopropyl alcohol or propane-2-ol from the petroleum industry. To obtain Acetone, pass the vapours of isopropyl over with copper catalyst heated at 573K.

(CH₃)2CHOH → CH₃COCH₃ + H₂

Conclusion

All the chemical properties of Acetone are summarised in this article. Acetone has many uses in various industries, mainly the chemical industry. It also has its own hazards when not handled properly, which is why one must take necessary precautions while working with it. With this article, you have gained knowledge about all the different properties of Acetone and how it is prepared in the laboratory.

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