Acetone
The co-product that became a commodity. Every tonne of phenol brings roughly 0.6 tonnes of acetone with it, and that structural surplus is why acetone is simultaneously a bulk feedstock and the default industrial solvent.
Molecular Structure
What is Acetone?
Acetone is the simplest ketone — a carbonyl carbon flanked by two methyl groups. That small, symmetric structure gives it an unusual combination of properties: it is fully miscible with water and also dissolves a wide range of resins, fats and organics. Very few solvents do both, which is why acetone turns up everywhere from pharmaceutical crystallisation to nail polish remover.
Around 85% of world acetone is not made deliberately. It emerges from the cumene process as the fixed co-product of phenol, at roughly 0.6 tonnes per tonne of phenol, and the market has to absorb whatever the phenol chain produces. The balance comes from dehydrogenation of isopropanol, which is the swing route producers turn to when acetone runs genuinely short.
As a feedstock, acetone goes two main ways. The acetone cyanohydrin route gives methyl methacrylate for acrylic sheet and coatings; condensation with phenol gives bisphenol-A. Aldol chemistry on acetone itself produces diacetone alcohol, mesityl oxide, isophorone and MIBK. Everything left over is sold as solvent.
Acetone has a flash point of −20 °C and vapour roughly twice as dense as air. The dominant handling risk is not toxicity — it is a vapour layer travelling along the floor and finding an ignition source some distance from where the spill actually happened.
Quick Reference
Key Physical & Chemical Properties
Structure & Bonding
A carbonyl carbon carrying two methyl groups. The polar C=O and the small non-polar methyls together produce acetone's defining property — complete miscibility with water alongside broad solvency for organics.
Skeletal structure — a carbonyl flanked by two methyl groups
Structural Identity
- IUPAC NamePropan-2-one
- Common namesAcetone, dimethyl ketone, DMK
- Molecular FormulaC₃H₆O
- Molecular Weight58.08 g/mol
- Functional groupKetone carbonyl
- PolarityPolar aprotic — water and organics both
- Odour threshold≈ 13 ppm — well below harmful levels
- Made fromCumene co-product; IPA dehydrogenation
- Ratio to phenol≈ 0.6 t per t of phenol
- CAS Number67-64-1
- InChI KeyCSCPPACGZOOCGX-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Product Specifications
Chelora supplies Acetone in standard and custom grades. Contact us for specification sheets tailored to your process.
| Chemical name | Acetone |
|---|---|
| CAS Number | 67-64-1 |
| Molecular formula | C₃H₆O |
| Molecular weight | 58.08 g/mol |
| Purity (min) | ≥ 99.70 wt% |
| Water (max) | ≤ 0.30 wt% (Karl Fischer) |
| Colour (max) | ≤ 5 Pt-Co (Hazen) |
| Specific gravity | 0.7900 – 0.7930 at 20/20 °C |
| Distillation range | 55.5 – 57.0 °C |
| Acidity as acetic acid (max) | ≤ 0.0020 wt% |
| Alkalinity as ammonia (max) | ≤ 0.0010 wt% |
| Methanol (max) | ≤ 0.05 wt% |
| Aldehydes as formaldehyde (max) | ≤ 0.0020 wt% |
| Non-volatile residue (max) | ≤ 10 ppm wt |
| Permanganate time (min) | ≥ 120 min at 25 °C |
| Water miscibility | Clear and complete |
| Odour | Characteristic, non-residual |
| Flash point | −20 °C (closed cup) |
| Autoignition temperature | 465 °C |
| Flammable limits | 2.5 – 12.8% v/v in air |
| Transport classification | UN 1090, Class 3, PG II |
Downstream Applications & Derivatives
Key derivative chains and industrial uses of Acetone.
Methyl Methacrylate
Via the acetone cyanohydrin route to MMA and then PMMA — acrylic sheet, automotive lighting, signage and coating resins. The largest chemical outlet for acetone.
Bisphenol-A
Condensation with two moles of phenol over an acid catalyst gives BPA, and from there polycarbonate and epoxy resins. Acetone supply and BPA economics are directly connected.
Coatings, Inks & Adhesives
A fast-evaporating solvent for nitrocellulose, acrylics, epoxies and cyanoacrylate systems, and the standard cleaning solvent for tools, resins and uncured composites.
Pharmaceutical Processing
Widely used in crystallisation, wet granulation and API isolation. Classified as an ICH Class 3 residual solvent, so it carries lower toxicological concern and higher permitted residue limits than most alternatives.
Dissolved Acetylene
Acetylene cannot be compressed safely on its own. Cylinders hold a porous mass saturated with acetone, in which acetylene dissolves at high volume ratios and can be stored and transported stably.
Aldol Derivatives
Self-condensation chemistry gives diacetone alcohol, mesityl oxide, isophorone and MIBK — solvents and intermediates for coatings, rubber chemicals and extraction.
Why source Acetone through Chelora Petrochem?
Verified Origin
Full origin certification and asset-backed supply chain documentation — no grey-market supply.
Grade Flexibility
Technical and pharmacopoeial grades supplied. Where your process is sensitive to water, methanol or aldehyde carryover, we specify and certify against those figures rather than the assay alone.
Full Documentation
CoA, SDS, UN 1090 transport documents, REACH compliance, and destination-market certificates with every shipment.
Logistics Support
Experienced in flammable bulk liquid logistics — dedicated road tankers and ISO tanks with bonding, earthing and vapour-return provision, plus drums and IBCs, for Indian and international delivery.
Storage & Handling Guidelines
Always refer to the full SDS before handling. The following is a summary of key requirements.
- Store in earthed and bonded tanks fitted with pressure/vacuum relief and flame arrestors, under a nitrogen blanket where practical.
- Treat every transfer as a static ignition hazard. Bond and earth all connections, avoid splash filling, and use dip pipes rather than free-fall into tanks.
- Keep all ignition sources away and classify the area for electrical equipment. Acetone vapour is about twice the density of air and travels along the ground to ignition points well away from the source.
- Ventilate to keep vapour comfortably below the lower flammable limit of 2.5%, not merely below the occupational exposure limit — the flammability threshold is the binding constraint.
- Exclude oxidising agents absolutely. Chromic acid, nitric acid, peroxides and concentrated hydrogen peroxide react violently with acetone.
- Do not bring acetone into contact with chloroform in the presence of a base — the combination can react exothermically and run away.
- Protect from moisture. Acetone is hygroscopic, and water pickup in storage is the most common reason a compliant lot fails on re-test at the receiving plant.
- Check material compatibility before selecting hoses, gaskets and liners. Acetone attacks many common plastics and elastomers that are perfectly serviceable with other solvents.
- Provide eyewash and safety showers at transfer points, use non-sparking tools, and label every container clearly.
Hazard Summary
Classification: Flam. Liq. 2 (H225), Eye Irrit. 2 (H319), STOT SE 3 (H336). Acetone is not classified as a carcinogen, mutagen or reproductive toxicant.
Flammability is the hazard: a flash point of −20 °C means acetone releases ignitable vapour at every ambient temperature encountered in practice, and the flammable range extends from 2.5% to 12.8% in air. A vapour cloud is the realistic accident scenario, not a chemical burn.
Vapour behaviour: vapour density is roughly twice that of air, so it accumulates in pits, sumps, trenches and at floor level and can reach a remote ignition source. Ventilation design should account for that rather than assume vapour disperses upward.
Toxicity is low: acute toxicity by all routes is low and acetone is a normal human metabolite at trace level. Occupational exposure limits vary considerably between jurisdictions — ACGIH lists a TLV-TWA of 250 ppm with a 500 ppm short-term limit, while some national permissible limits are substantially higher. Apply the limit in force at your site.
Skin and eye: causes serious eye irritation. Repeated skin contact defats the skin and can cause dermatitis; high vapour concentrations cause drowsiness and dizziness.
Incompatibilities: strong oxidisers, chloroform in the presence of base, and many plastics and elastomers. Confirm compatibility for every wetted component.
PPE minimum: chemical goggles, resistant gloves selected for ketone service, antistatic clothing and footwear at transfer points.
Consult the full SDS for exposure limits, spill containment, emergency response and disposal before any use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technical and commercial questions about Acetone sourcing and specifications.
What is acetone used for?
Roughly a third goes into methyl methacrylate via the acetone cyanohydrin route, and a further large share into bisphenol-A with phenol. The rest is split between solvent applications — coatings, inks, adhesives, resin and tool cleaning, cosmetics — pharmaceutical processing where it is used for crystallisation and granulation, dissolved acetylene cylinders, and aldol derivatives such as MIBK, isophorone and diacetone alcohol.
Why is acetone tied to phenol production?
The cumene process cleaves cumene hydroperoxide into phenol and acetone together, in fixed proportion — about 0.6 tonnes of acetone per tonne of phenol — and it supplies roughly 85% of world acetone. That means acetone availability is driven by phenol demand rather than by acetone demand. When the BPA and phenolic resin chains run hard, acetone is long and cheap; when acetone is genuinely short, the marginal supply has to come from dehydrogenating isopropanol, which sets a higher floor price.
What is the difference between technical and pharmacopoeial grade acetone?
The assay is often very similar. The difference lies in the impurity testing and the manufacturing controls. Pharmacopoeial grades are tested against the USP or EP monograph, which adds identification tests, defined limits on water, non-volatile residue, acidity, alkalinity, methanol and aldehydes, plus the permanganate time test. The material also has to be produced, stored and shipped in a way that prevents cross-contamination, which in practice means dedicated equipment and documented cleaning.
What does permanganate time measure and why does it matter?
It measures how long a standard permanganate solution takes to fade when added to the acetone, which indicates the level of oxidisable impurities — chiefly aldehydes and unsaturated compounds. A short permanganate time means reducing impurities are present even when the gas chromatographic assay looks clean. It matters most in pharmaceutical and fine chemical use, where those impurities can react with the product or generate colour during processing.
Why is acetone's flammability treated so seriously when its toxicity is low?
Because the two risks operate on different scales. Acetone's toxicity is genuinely low, and the exposure limits are high compared with most industrial solvents. But a flash point of −20 °C means there is essentially never a moment when acetone in air is not ignitable, and the vapour is dense enough to travel along the ground to a source of ignition well outside the immediate work area. Most serious acetone incidents are fires and vapour explosions, not poisonings.
What documentation does Chelora provide?
Every shipment includes a Certificate of Analysis covering purity, water, colour, specific gravity, distillation range, acidity, alkalinity, methanol, aldehydes, non-volatile residue and permanganate time; a Safety Data Sheet to GHS and REACH format; UN 1090 Class 3 dangerous goods documentation; an origin certificate; and pharmacopoeial or destination-market certificates where the application requires them.
Request a quote or specification sheet
Talk to Chelora's sourcing team about Acetone grade, volume, logistics, documentation, and lead times. We respond within one business day.
