🔬 What Is a Solvent?

A solvent is a substance—typically a liquid—that dissolves another substance, known as a solute, to form a homogeneous mixture called a solution. Solvents are essential in chemistry, used in laboratories, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and everyday products like cleaners and paints. For example, when salt dissolves in water, water is the solvent and salt is the solute.

Solvents are classified as either polar (e.g., water, ethanol, acetone) or non-polar (e.g., hexane, toluene). Polar solvents have uneven charge distributions, making them effective at dissolving polar compounds. Non-polar solvents, on the other hand, dissolve non-polar substances. This follows the principle "like dissolves like", meaning substances with similar polarity mix well.

Physical properties such as volatility, boiling point, and viscosity determine a solvent's suitability for specific uses. For instance, acetone’s high volatility makes it useful in nail polish remover and laboratory cleaning. More advanced solvents, like dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), are used in medical and biological applications due to their unique ability to penetrate biological membranes.

In summary, solvents play a critical role in chemical reactions and processes, enabling mixing, separation, extraction, and purification. Choosing the appropriate solvent requires an understanding of both the solvent's properties and the desired outcome of its application.

What Is a Solvent?

A solvent is a substance—typically a liquid—that dissolves another substance, known as a solute, to form a homogeneous mixture called a solution. Solvents are essential in chemistry, used in laboratories, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and everyday products like cleaners and paints. For example, when salt dissolves in water, water is the solvent and salt is the solute.

Solvents are classified as either polar (e.g., water, ethanol, acetone) or non-polar (e.g., hexane, toluene). Polar solvents have uneven charge distributions, making them effective at dissolving polar compounds. Non-polar solvents, on the other hand, dissolve non-polar substances. This follows the principle "like dissolves like", meaning substances with similar polarity mix well.

Physical properties such as volatility, boiling point, and viscosity determine a solvent's suitability for specific uses. For instance, acetone’s high volatility makes it useful in nail polish remover and laboratory cleaning. More advanced solvents, like dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), are used in medical and biological applications due to their unique ability to penetrate biological membranes.

In summary, solvents play a critical role in chemical reactions and processes, enabling mixing, separation, extraction, and purification. Choosing the appropriate solvent requires an understanding of both the solvent's properties and the desired outcome of its application.

Solvent Specifications (General Purpose Organic Solvent)

Chemical Name: Acetone (or substitute with another, e.g., Ethanol, Toluene)
Chemical Formula: C₃H₆O
Molecular Weight: 58.08 g/mol
Appearance: Colorless, volatile liquid
Purity: ≥ 99.5% (GC Assay)
Boiling Point: 56 °C
Melting Point: –95 °C
Density: 0.791 g/mL at 25 °C
Flash Point: –20 °C (Closed Cup)
Solubility: Miscible with water, ethanol, ether, and most organic solvents
Vapor Pressure: 180 mmHg at 25 °C
Storage Conditions: Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from heat, sparks, and open flame. Keep tightly sealed.
Container Type: Amber glass or metal drum (depending on volume)
Applications: Widely used in laboratories for cleaning, degreasing, sample preparation, chromatography, and as a reaction medium. Also applicable in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial formulations.

This solvent complies with ACS or reagent-grade standards and is suitable for analytical and preparative applications requiring high purity and consistent performance.