Nail Polish Remover
By: Ekam Gosal
Info
Acetone is usually the main ingredient in nail polish remover. Early processes for the manufacture of acetone were based on the thermal decomposition of calcium acetate or the carbohydrate fermentation of corn starch or molasses. The availability of propylene in the 1960s led to ways of proudction based on the dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol or cumene peroxidation. The cumene way, in which the acetone is produced along with phenol, is the preferred technology because of its low cost and nearly 90% of acetone is produced this way.
How?
(C3H6O)
There are three main ingredients in nail polish. There are thickeners and hardening agents; solvents and drying agents; and coloring agents. One might think there is a chemical reaction that allows nail polish remover to work, but that's not true. The polish remover is actually a solvent.All nail polishes contain a small degree of this solvent, which helps the polish stay in its liquid form. Without the solvent, it would thicken and harden and polishing nails would be impossible.When nail polish remover is applied to a polished nail, the remover breaks down the polish and liquefies it, bringing it back to the state it was in before it was applied to the nail. It then dissolves the polish from the nail, therfore removing it. Basically, the solvent's molecules get in between the chains of the polymer (the polish) and separate them, making it easy to wipe the polish off with a ball of cotton.
Acetone is a hydrocarbon derivative, more specifically a ketone in its simplest form because of its particular functional group. Acetone's functional group is the carbonyl group, which is represented by the double bond between the carbon and oxygen atom. The functional group is what gives ketone's their physical and chemical properties.
Safe?
HUMANS:
Acetone can be extremely harmful to human health if the use of a product containing acetone is abused and used improperly, or if exposed at high levels of concentration and for long periods of time.Humans are exposed to acetone through inhalation, ingestion, and absorption through the skin. Once humans are exposed to acetone, it is absorbed into their bloodstream which is carried to the organs throughout their body. Acetone poses as a health risk to humans as it has many harmful effects. Acetone has proven to be highly flammable and therefore can explode or ignite easily, endangering nearby humans of serious burns. If you come into contact with acetone, it has the ability to damage your skin through the depletion of moisture and oils, leaving it dry, brittle, and likely to peel. This would only be considered a minor result of exposure to acetone. Moderate-to-high levels of exposure to acetone for short periods of time can cause chronic toxicity and nose, throat, lung, and eye irritation. It can also result in headaches, fatigue, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, increased pulse rate, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and the shortening of menstrual cycle in women. Exposure to highly concentrated amounts of acetone and its vapours can cause irritation of the respiratory tract, burning of the eyes, and skin irritation and tissue damage.
ENVIRONMENT:
Although acetone occurs naturally in the environment through decomposing vegetation, volcanic gases, and forest fires, the majority of the chemical released into the atmosphere is created from industrial processes. Acetone is an extremely flammable liquid at room temperature and it also releases a gas that can form an explosive mixture with the air. The acetone that is released into the environment from a manufacturing origin, is also intensely flammable. These vapours can ignite from something as small as a static discharge, and they can catch on fire from a distance, thus the chemical in our atmosphere can be very dangerous in our environment. With this chemical present in our environment, forests, structures, habitats, and animals, are more likely to be harmed. Many more forest fires can take place from the hazardous substance, with the potential of burning acres of plantation and harming not only animals habitats, but animals themselves. Because acetone occurs naturally in the environment, our goal is to minimize and possibly eliminate the exposure of acetone from manufacturing or industrial purposes from the environment.