Acetone vs Ethyl acetate: what is the difference?
Acetone is a fast, harsh ketone solvent, while ethyl acetate is a gentler, slower evaporating ester and is what acetone-free nail polish removers contain.
Acetone has a methyl group where ethyl acetate has an ethoxy group.
Sources and notes
- The sentence under the titlefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedMoleculeFinder rule (RDKit MCS)Drawn the same way round on the skeleton they share; the amber marks where the two differ.
- The captionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- What is highlightedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedOne line under each drawing, written from the atoms the amber marks.
Side by side
| Acetone | Ethyl acetate | |
|---|---|---|
| Molecular weightCalculated PubChem | 58.08 g/molC3H6O | 88.11 g/molC4H8O2 |
| Hydrogen-bond donorsCalculated PubChem | 0 | 0 |
| Where each turns upEditorial MoleculeFinder food and product lists |
|
|
| FamilyEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Ketones | Esters |
| Everyday groupEditorial MoleculeFinder curated | Everyday chemistry | Food & flavor |
| Chemical groupsCalculated Found by rule (RDKit) | Ketones | Esters |
| Hazard labelReported ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem | Danger | Danger |
| The supplier-filed hazard label's signal word, not a statement about ordinary use. | ||
| Oral LD50Measured HSDB via PubChem | 5,800 mg/kgpure acetone, rat, oral | 4,900 mg/kgpure ethyl acetate, rabbit, oral |
| A single acute animal measure, here in two different species. It ranks nothing about human safety. | ||
Sources and notes
- Molecular weightcomputedPubChemComputed from the structure; the formula is under each weight.
- Hydrogen-bond donorscomputedPubChemThe hydrogens on nitrogen or oxygen that each molecule can lend to a hydrogen bond, counted from its structure.
- Where each turns upfrom sourceMoleculeFinder food and product listsEach amount is an editorial figure from our lists, not a measurement of any one product. Each mark is set by hand on the list, never inferred.
- Familyfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Everyday groupfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Chemical groupscomputedFound by rule (RDKit)Each group is found in the structure by a chemical pattern.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia, HSDB via PubChem
- Oral LD50from sourceHSDB via PubChem
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Identifiersfrom sourcePubChemPubChem CID 180 (Acetone) and 8857 (Ethyl acetate).
In more detail
These are the two solvents in nail polish remover, and the choice between them is about aggression. Acetone is a small ketone that dissolves polish fast and also strips oils from skin and nail, which is the drying people notice. Ethyl acetate is an ester, heavier at 88.11 against 58.08, slower to evaporate and gentler on the nail plate, which is why it is what acetone-free removers actually contain. Ethyl acetate also smells fruity rather than sharp, and it occurs naturally in wine and ripe fruit. Both are flammable and both carry a GHS Danger signal word, so acetone-free is a statement about the solvent, not about the hazard class.
Sources and notes
- The paragraphfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notes
Questions
- What is the difference between Acetone and Ethyl acetate?
- Acetone is a fast, harsh ketone solvent, while ethyl acetate is a gentler, slower evaporating ester and is what acetone-free nail polish removers contain.
- Is Acetone bigger than Ethyl acetate?
- Ethyl acetate is the heavier molecule, 88.11 g/mol against 58.08 g/mol for Acetone. Acetone is C3H6O and Ethyl acetate is C4H8O2.
- Which has the lower reported LD50, Acetone or Ethyl acetate?
- Ethyl acetate, at 4,900 mg/kg (oral, rabbit), against 5,800 mg/kg (oral, rat) for Acetone. An LD50 is one acute animal measurement, and the two here were not necessarily measured in the same species, so it is a data point rather than a ranking of how dangerous either is to a person.
Sources and notes
- The answersfrom sourceMoleculeFinderThe first is the pair's answer line; the others are read off the table above.