Acetone is a chemical that can be found in nature. It is a liquid solvent that is also mass-produced by man for a plethora of reasons. It is considered a solvent that can break down organic elements with ease from most kinds of surfaces.
Some common uses of the acetone chemical can be seen in products like paint remover, nail polish remover, and varnish remover. There are other companies out there that also use the product for manufacturing plastics, textiles, and lacquers too.
Apart from all the good things acetone does, acetone is not toxic but it can be dangerous if ingested. Acetone has a corrosive nature; it can damage certain materials when it comes in contact with them.
Since acetone is a great cleaning agent, we would be tempted to use this chemical while cleaning our various things in the household, including plastic products. Let us discuss below with facts if using acetone along with plastic is safe or not.
Can acetone melt plastic?
Acetone is a corrosive agent. Be it 100% acetone or less concentration, it will not matter. Because Acetone will damage the plastic’s surface gradually. It has the ability to soften the material as well as dissolve it over time. That is why plastic should be kept far from acetone.
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Acetone might seem like a man-made chemical, but in reality, it can also be found in the natural environment. It is normally colorless and clear liquid. It also has a distinct taste and smell.
The chemical name of this material is dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, and beta-ketopropane. Acetone is a strong naturally made and also man-made chemical that is capable of removing any type of contaminants from most surfaces.
Acetone is not safe for plastic because the chemical will degrade some types of plastic’s surface.
On the other hand, for some plastics, it will outright soften, smear and dissolve it. It is advised to never use acetone on painted plastic also as it will remove the paint and varnish.
Plastic cups:
Plastic cups will melt in acetone. Even if we put a small amount or a few drops in the cup, acetone being the excellent solvent will melt the cups right through.
Plastic bowl:
It will damage the surface and break down the bowl over time. It will be best if we do not put acetone in a plastic bowl.
Plastic bags:
Acetone can easily melt most plastics. However, some plastics are different than others, and acetone while it melts the materials it does not destroy the molecules.
Plastic bags for example are made from polyethylene and this one, in particular, does not dissolve well in acetone.
Plastic containers:
Using plastic containers to store acetone is not recommended. If acetone comes in contact with the material there will be severe effects and things might escalate and go out of our hands.
Plastic wrap:
Normally this material is feeble in comparison with the other ones. Acetone will dissolve the material with ease when it comes in contact with the chemical.
What does acetone do to plastic?
Acetone has a corrosive nature; it can be found in nature too. However, even in nature, this material can be harmful to other materials.
Acetone has a special knack for not being a fan of plastics, as they seem to damage, smear, soften or even dissolve them in contact.
Plastic experiences a severe effect when they come in contact with acetone. A high concentration of acetone will break down the container and produce leaks in places.
Does acetone clean plastic?
Acetone has properties of cleaning. It is considered a solvent and thus it can dissolve organic elements. Things like paint, glue, and grease can be easily cleaned with this chemical. Even nail polish cleaner has acetone in it.
The different surfaces it can be used are glass, metal, and many more other materials. However, regarding all of these, there is only one surface it can damage and acetone should not be used to clean that surface, that is plastic.
Although some types of plastics can handle the consistency and corrosive nature of acetone it is still advised to try on a certain small spot of the plastic before going ahead with the cleaning process.
Also, word of advice is to never use acetone on painted plastic.
Does acetone discolor plastic?
Acetone is corrosive to the material known as plastic. It can easily damage the surface area of it and soften the details of the construction of a particular plastic product. Plastic should be avoided when handling acetone at all times.
However, some plastics can withstand the corrosiveness of the chemical. Although that does not make it okay to use acetone for cleaning purposes on any plastic material either.
The acetone chemical can directly dissolve the plastic product, discoloring of the product should be of less concern to us.
Although for the sake of the conversation it does discolor the color of any particular plastic product it comes in contact with.
Does pure acetone melt plastic?
A normal concentration of acetone coming in contact with plastic is devastating for almost all kinds of plastic. Acetone in contact with plastic can smother, soften, and if left alone on plastic for a prolonged time can even dissolve the product.
So, if we even tale 100% acetone in a particular experiment, we will see that the acetone will surely dissolve and melt the plastic with ease. It will not destroy the molecules but will liquefy the product.
Which type of plastic will react in acetone?
When we bring a plastic that’s dissimilar to acetone then they’ll remain as they were without getting damaged by the solvent.
However, if we were to bring a plastic that’s closely similar to acetone then the chemical will at least damage the surface of said plastic otherwise dissolve it. Such plastics are briefly discussed below.
Polystyrene:
This material can be both solid and foamed. It’s mostly used in the food-service industry, a few examples would be disposable eating utensils, bowls, and foamed cups.
Acetone can easily react and melt this material.
PVC:
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) plastic is usually known as “vinyl” and this has come to be one of the most used plastics in the world.
Furthermore, acetone is listed to be a solvent for this material and it will thus create a reaction when it comes to PVC.
What type of plastic can hold acetone?
Plastic normally does not have the consistency that can stop the acetone from damaging it. However, other different types of plastics can hold and contain acetone normally. The types of plastics that are not affected by containing acetone are mentioned below.
Teflon:
The name “Teflon” is a new name for the synthetic chemical known as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
This particular type of plastic is used to coat a variation of products that need less friction, waterproofing, and a non-stick surface. It can easily store and hold acetone without getting damaged.
Tefzel:
Ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) has resins that are melt-processable copolymers. This plastic body has one of the most remarkable physical rigidities.
Furthermore, also has unique resistance to radiation, UV, Chemicals, and high temperatures. Therefore, it can easily contain acetone.
Will acetone melt abs plastic?
ABS stands for Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, which is a common thermoplastic polymer. One of the most common items that are made from this material is known as LEGO. If acetone comes in contact with ABS plastic, then the surface of the ABS will become dull.
Furthermore, if there is a high concentration of Acetone then it can act as a polar protic solvent and make a dilute solution of the ABS plastic with ease. Therefore, we can safely say acetone can melt abs plastic.
What to do if acetone gets on plastic?
Acetone if left alone evaporates easily also will dissolve in water. Certainly, it is a very flammable product that needs care when handling.
It can be corrosive to some materials, for example, plastic. Therefore, let us go over the things we need to do when acetone gets on plastic.
- We take a can of aerosol lacquer and spray the damaged area.
- After the spray dries off, we need to sand it lightly with steel wool.
- We proceed to spray the aerosol lacquer again.
- If we can notice a slight depression, we need to spray it two or three more times. This will get rid of any acetone residues left behind.
Final thoughts
Acetone may be a naturally found chemical, but that does not make it a friendly chemical that will not harm or damage other materials. Plastic for one is easily damaged when acetone comes in contact with this chemical. Plastic containers should never be used to contain the chemical.