BUTANONE (methylethylketone) MEK, 99%, L

Parameter	Attribute
Butanone	2-butanone, ethylmethylketone, 2- ethylmethylketone, methylethylketone, MEK, methylpropanone, methylacetone
Formula	C4H8O
Structure
IUPAC	2-butanone
CAS	78-93-3
Molar mass	72,107 g/mol
Density	0,8050 g/cm3
Solubility	Soluble in water 27,5 g/100 mL, Miscible with benzene, diethyl ether, methanol, chloroform, ethanol.

Butanone, also known as methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), is an organic compound with the formula CH₃C(O)CH₂CH₃. This colorless liquid ketone has a pungent, sweet odor reminiscent of acetone. It is produced industrially on a large scale, but only occurs in small quantities in nature. It is partially soluble in water and is mainly used as an industrial solvent. MEK is an isomer of another solvent, tetrahydrofuran.

In cosmetics, butanone is often a key ingredient in cleaning products such as nail polish and superglue cleaners. However, it is soluble in some plastics. Make-up artists use butanone to remove skin adhesives from wigs and moustache nets by dipping the object in a MEK bath, then using a stiff brush to remove the softened adhesive residue. Methyl ethyl ketone is used as an analogue of acetone to reduce the evaporation rate and increase contact time. It also has a less pungent odor.

As a solvent for the dissolution of organic compounds, butanone is used in processes involving rubber, resin, cellulose acetate and nitrocellulose coatings, and vinyl films. For this reason it is used in the manufacture of plastics, textiles, paraffin waxes and household products such as varnish, lacquers, paint remover, denaturing agent for denatured alcohol, adhesives and as a cleaning agent. It has similar solvent properties to acetone, but boils at a higher temperature and has a much slower evaporation rate.

In laboratories and educational institutions, butanone is used as a polar aprotic solvent in various organic reactions. Unlike acetone, it forms an azeotrope with water and is therefore useful in certain applications for azeotropic moisture distillation. It is also used as a homologous ketone in ketone recognition reactions. Butanone is the catalyst for methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, which is a catalyst for some polymerization reactions such as the coupling of unsaturated polyester resins.

In the cleaning industry, butanone is used as an effective degreasing agent for various surfaces. It is commonly found in the cleaning and degreasing of painted surfaces, painting tools or surfaces before painting. Butanone is also used in dry erase markers as a solvent for erasable paints.

In medicine, butanone is used as a solvent and as a denaturant in denatured alcohol. MEK is also an excipient in some pharmaceutical drugs. Dermatologists use methyl ethyl ketone and alcohol to chemically exfoliate dry skin in the treatment of acne. The most common substances used for chemical peeling are salicylic acid, glycolic acid, 30% salicylic acid in ethanol and trichloroacetic acid (TCA). Before exfoliation, the skin is cleansed and excess oil is removed with a degreasing compound. This process usually uses butanone, septicol or a combination of these reagents.

In the plastics industry, butanone dissolves polystyrene and many other plastics and is sold as 'model cement' for use in joining parts of larger model kits. Although often considered as an adhesive, in this context it actually acts as a welding (fusing) agent.

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