Why can't water wash off nail polish but acetone can?

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asked Aug 31, 2022 in Body/Skin by bullpitt (5,440 points)
Why can't water wash off nail polish but acetone can?

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answered Sep 18, 2022 by Capobianco (12,490 points)
Water cannot wash off nail polish but acetone can is because nail polish is able to be dissolved in water as nail polish needs the chemical in acetone to break up the resin in the nail polish.

Basically nail polish is held together by resin which needs broken up and water cannot do that.

The acetone breaks up that resin so that the nail polish comes off.

Acetone cannot and does not dissolve salt as salt is incompatible with acetone so it will not dissolve salt.

That means that salt is insoluble in acetone.

Acetone is soluble in water and when water is poured on acetone it easily dissolves into the water.

It only takes one to 2 drops of acetone to melt Styrofoam.

Just one cup of acetone is enough to dissolve an entire bag of Styrofoam beads.

Acetone does dissolve Styrofoam as acetone is a relatively non polar solvent the acetone can dissolve the carbon hydrogen bonds of the Styrofoam.

What happens to the Styrofoam cup when you pour acetone on it is the Styrofoam cup dissolves because the acetone dissolves the long polymer strands in the Styrofoam which allows trapped air to escape.

You can put acetone down the sink and drain as long as you run enough water through the drain to flush out the acetone.

If you don't wash the acetone down the sink with water then the acetone may damage the drain pipes.

You can also pour acetone out onto the ground and dilute it with water or place it in the garbage in a container.

You can put acetone in a Mason Jar.

Acetone is safe to store in a Mason Jar and will not harm the Mason Jar or react with the Mason Jar.

Acetone is also safe for storing in other glass Jars as well.

Containers that are safe for acetone are plastic, metal, glass and ceramic containers.

The difference between acetone and nail polish remover is nail polish remover is most often an organic solvent while acetone is not.

However some types of nail polish remover are acetone based but they are not pure acetone.

Non-Acetone Polish Removers Non-acetone removers use less aggressive solvents like ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol and propylene carbonate.

Even polish removers labeled as "natural" or "organic" still use a solvent, they just don't use acetone.

Acetone is highly flammable even when dry.

Pure acetone is a colorless liquid, which has a distinctively sweet, pungent odor.

The flashpoint of 0°F (-18°C) makes it a highly flammable liquid, which can ignite even as a low concentration mixture with water.

Acetone, commonly known as nail polish remover, is also highly flammable.

Combustible liquids, like nail polish remover, don't actually catch fire themselves.

Rather, the vapors they give off are flammable.

Nail polish remover should not be used near open flames, outlets or any other place where sparks can occur.

Acetone is a manufactured chemical that is also found naturally in the environment.

It is a colorless liquid with a distinct smell and taste.

The acetone evaporates easily, is flammable, and dissolves in water and is also called dimethyl ketone, 2-propanone, and beta-ketopropane.

If you only have a small amount of acetone to dispose of, soak it up with some kitchen roll or tissue and put it in a metal bin with a disposable bin liner.

It can go out with the regular rubbish.

Acetone is more flammable than denatured alcohol so great care is needed to keep it away from sparks, open flames, or heat sources.

This is especially important when on-site installations require a cleaning step.

Acetone burns very easily and produces a hot flame.

The good news is that the byproducts of burning acetone are carbon dioxide and water (or potentially carbon monoxide if there is not enough oxygen present).

Acetone may form explosive mixtures with chromic anhydride, chromyl chloride, hexachloromelamine, hydrogen peroxide, nitric acid and acetic acid, nitric acid and sulfuric acid, nitrosyl chloride, nitrosyl perchlorate, nitryl perchlorate, permonosulfuric acid, potassium tert-butoxide, thiodiglycol and hydrogen peroxide.

About half the acetone in a typical atmosphere at any time will be lost in 22 days.

Microbes (minute life forms) in water remove some acetone from water.

Some acetone in water will evaporate into air.

Acetone, is an organic compound with the formula (CH₃)₂CO. It is the simplest and smallest ketone.

It is a colorless, highly volatile and flammable liquid with a characteristic pungent odor.

Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important organic solvent in its own right, in industry, home, and laboratory.

Acetone is a liquid solvent that can break down and dissolve other substances.

Companies include acetone in products such as nail polish remover, paint remover, and varnish remover.

Some also use acetone to manufacture plastics, lacquers, and textiles.

Breathing or swallowing high amounts of acetone over a short period of time can cause headaches, confusion, nausea, racing pulse, changes in the size and amount of blood cells, unconsciousness (passing out), or coma.

Breathing a moderate to high amount of acetone can also cause nose, throat, lung, and eye irritation.

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