Acetone,, A Strong Solvent for Wood Finishing material

Acetone is quite common solvent and widely used in the finishing industry. Chemically, this material is a member of the ketones group (the hydrocarbon that contains the O group). As a solvent, acetone has a high solubility for many types of coatings, pigments, paints, and resins. Acetone is usually added in small amounts in the mix of the thinner for paints to improve the solubility of the thinner. Most of the finishing materials; coating, paints, pigments, and stains can be dissolved by acetone.
Acetone is a volatile material; its evaporation rate number 4,5. It means that his evaporation rate is about 4.5 times compared with the butyl acetate. (see our previous post, the properties of common solvent in the finishing Industry.)

The acetone in the thinner can also be used to raise the evaporation rate of the thinner. Acetone can be added to the lacquer thinner to accelerate the drying time of the mixture. In the specific cases, it can be added in some amount to the top coat, sealer, or paint mixed. Some acetone in the sealer or top coat can be used to solve the bubble, blistering, and pinhole problems. However, the acetone in the mixture of paint thinner is limited to a small amount. Too much acetone in the paint will disrupt flow and cause rough and even uneven surface layers. The paint that is drying too fast is also potentially causing the adhesion problems. Acetone also dissolves with water; the acetone in the coating, especially in large amounts, will tend to absorb moisture from the air and cause the blushing problem.

washing the paint

The other use of the acetone is as a washing thinner. With its high solubility, acetone is a good solvent for washing and cleaning the finishing equipment. In the finishing industry, the acetone is used to clean the spray gun, pressure tank, pump, and agitator after being used. It is also used to clean small appliances such as cups, spoons, and other tools used after they are used. It can also be used to clean the grease and rust for the other woodworking machines.

Acetone is also an ideal solvent to wash the resolvable finishing layer. If we want to refinish the finishing layer for many reasons, we can use acetone with very good result. Acetone can solve the NC coating, varnish, shellac, water-based coating, and the thermoplastic material. It also works to solve the PU, AC, or even UV coating that has not fully dried.

Acetone is also widely used for testing the strength of coating layers. If we want to test the solvent resistance of the coating layer, acetone is the standard solvent used. The finishing layer is tested by wetting with acetone or lightly rubbing with a cloth dampened with acetone to check its resistance to the solvent.

The storage and handling of acetone.

With so many functions, acetone is an important solvent in the finishing industry. Acetone needs to be available in the finishing workshop, finishing industry, and furniture factories that do the process of finishing. However, the storage and handling of acetone should be carefully done. Acetone is a flammable material and more dangerous because it is very volatile. Acetone in the open container will soon evaporate, and the fumes will fill up the air. The room that is filled with acetone fumes would be very dangerous because it has a high risk for fire. Any small spark in this room will causes fire and ended with big fire disaster.

Acetone storage should always be managed carefully. It should be stored in a closed can, pail, or drum. The material should be placed in the room with good air circulation. Avoid fire and all sources of ignition in the room. The electricity connections and panels should always be placed in closed box to avoid a fire from the electricity sparking

Provide a ground network in the room. Every time we handle the material, then we must first ground the cans, drums, or pails to avoid sparks from the static electricity. Avoid the impact or friction between metals in the room because it can generate the sparks from static electricity generated.