Re: Acetone will increase MPG?!?!
In
chemistry,
acetone (also known as
dimethyl ketone,
2-propanone,
propan-2-one and
beta-ketopropane) is the simplest representative of the
ketones. Acetone is a colourless mobile flammable liquid with a pleasant, somewhat fruity odor, melting at -95.4 °
C and boiling at 56.53 °C. It has a
relative density of 0.819 (at 0 °C). It is readily soluble in
water,
ethanol,
ether, etc., and itself serves as an important
solvent. The most familiar household use of acetone is as the active ingredient in
nail polish remover. Acetone is also used to make
plastic, fibers, drugs, and other chemicals.
As a member of the
ketone bodies it is present in very small quantity in normal
urine and in the
blood. Larger quantities can be found after starvation and in
diabetic patients with severe
insulin deficiency (that is untreated or inadequately treated persons); a fruity smell of the breath caused by acetone is one symptom of
diabetic ketoacidosis. See
ketone bodies for more information.
Acetone occurs naturally in plants, trees, volcanic gases, forest fires, and as a product of the breakdown of body fat. It is present in vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke, and landfill sites. Industrial processes contribute more acetone to the environment than natural processes. It is found among the products formed in destructive distillation of
wood,
sugar,
cellulose, etc., and for this reason it is always present in crude wood
spirit, from which the greater portion of it may be recovered by
fractional distillation.
It forms a
hydrazone with
phenyl hydrazine and an
oxime with
hydroxylamine. Reduction by
sodium amalgam converts it into
isopropyl alcohol; oxidation by
chromic acid gives
carbon dioxide and acetic acid. It reacts with
ammonia to form di- and triacetoneamines. It also unites directly with
hydrocyanic acid to form the
nitrile of α-oxyiso
butyric acid.
By the action of various reagents, such as
lime, caustic
potash,
hydrochloric acid, etc., acetone is converted into
condensation products,
mesityl oxide C6H10O, phorone C9H14O, etc., being formed. On distillation with sulphuric acid (H2SO4), it is converted into
mesitylene C9H12 (symmetrical trimethyl benzene). Acetone has also been used in the artificial production of
indigo. In the presence of
iodine and an
alkali it gives
iodoform.
Health effects
Swallowing very high levels of acetone can result in unconsciousness and damage to the
skin in the
mouth. Skin contact can result in irritation and damage to the skin.
The smell and respiratory data are known mostly from animal studies.
Kidney, liver, and
nerve damage, increased
birth defects, and lowered reproduction ability of males (only) occurred in animals exposed long-term. It is not known if these same effects would be exhibited in humans.
Interestingly, acetone has been shown to have anticonvulsant effects in animal models of epilepsy, in the absence of toxicity, when administered in millimolar concentrations (see: Likhodii et al, 2003).
