Can all solvents be Replaced by Green solvents?

Acetone

As we know water is the best green solvent to replace harmful chemicals but
then comes acetone to be less harmful for the environment compared to other
substances. Acetone is an organic compound that is also volatile that has a
chemical formula of (CH3COCH3) that is acidic with a ph=2. (Brown,
2018)(1).

How can acetone be a green solvent?

Acetone is called green solvent due to its renewable production. Many
industries produce acetone by huge masses. It is a solvent the could be used to
produces various of drugs in pharmaceutical and medicines fields. Therefore,
acetone can be manufactured in many different ways, but the best ways scientist
has found that acetone can be produced in fermentation stage and it is naturally
available in plants and trees.
So, then we can consider that the manufacture of acetone can be always
renewable and natural, and it decreases the usage of dangers and hazardous
substance and chemical that is harmful for our environment (Joubein, n.d.)(2).

Using Acetone as a Degreaser

Degreasing is a process that extracts many undesirable dirt, dust, grease or oil
from a part of device or to make an item set for its finishing that is used in many
industries. Although there are many other alternative products to make this
process, but acetone is the most that meets the degreasing needs. However,
acetone is called a solvent or most specifically a cleaning agent. Acetone is easy
to get since it is extracted from natural sources and does not cost that much.
This amazing solvent evaporates much faster than other choices of compounds.
A degreaser machine or the process is tremendously dry and non-oily hence it
has to guarantee that there is not extra coat is left over as the cleaning procedure
takes place.
Acetone can only be used when it has to clean or serves as cleaner from solvent-
resistant finishes like varnish or epoxy resin.
Acetone can be very beneficial in equipment safeguarding, cleaning,
degreasing, finishing, and paint removal. The most beneficial fact in acetone
that it can removes tremendous quantities of grease and other unnecessary items
from surfaces without introducing VOC oriented agent into the surround
atmosphere. In the degreasing process, acetone is capable of eliminating many
of the problems related to sticky and heavy-duty equipment or surface pollutant
exclusion surface products. (Degreasers, 2013)(3).
 In green chemistry, there are a lot of solvents, but I choose that acetone is the one the best
green solvents among others compounds such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, water, and
ionic liquid. in terms of many aspects and their effects on environment and health and safety
uses depending on which process it undergoes.
However, acetone is very cheap in cost and which makes it attractive to solvents.
Therefore, each green solvent has its own purpose and job to do and each have different
reactions with substances.

As you go to the right side , the

solvents become more green solvents
and less harmful for our universe , so
therefore acetone is preferable in too
many process but yet it is still
somehow harmful for our
environment but it would cause less
harmful and more safety then other
hazardous compounds used in
industries.

One of the laboratories in the world, called EHS in which their job is to check
all the solvents impact on the environment and its safety usage. In this research
and experiments they started to compare between different green solvents on
terms of their environment issue, health and safety of this substance that will be
used in any chemical process. The green solvents were acetone, methanol,
ethanol, and isopropanol.

In terms of health issues: In terms of Safety In terms of environment:

1-In terms of health issues, ethanol scored to the highest score to be the healthiest due because it is not
irritating, however, isopropanol and acetone behaves as central nervous systems depressants, but they are
less toxic than methanol.
2-On the other hand, chloroform tend be high chronic toxicity, but it is the safest substance among them.
Acetone has scored the highest to be dangerous because it is flammable liquid and could be dangerous if
used wrong or on skin but in chemical process it could be very less dangers than other toxic chemical.
3- In terms of the safety of the environment, acetone and methanol scored very well and they are the most
substance that cause less risks for the environment (Connelly, 2016)(4).
Laboratories as they start processing in chemical process they really care about how much
amount of solvent will cost, and many they look for cheap compounds without looking how
much it could be harmful to the environment. Yet, acetone is a great green solvent due to
that it is cheap in cost but not cheaper then methanol, but it is less harmful to our
environment than methanol and could be safe if used by experts (4).

We can conclude after these graphs and how each solvent has scored, it is
said the ethanol would be the best to be used in laborites (4). However, as I
said that each green solvent can be replaced in process depending on the
process and what this substance is capable to do in this process for a better
and a healthier environment.
Bibliography
1-Brown, W. H. (2018, februaruy 23). Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/science/acetone:
https://www.britannica.com/science/acetone
4-Connelly, A. (2016, November). science, food, technicians, etc. Retrieved from Going
Green – Solvents.
3-Degreasers, b. I. (2013, march). Retrieved from Using Acetone as a Degreaser :
https://ecolink.com/info/using-acetone-as-a-degreaser/
2-Joubein, M. (n.d.). Retrieved from Green Alternatives to Acetone:
https://allaboutacetone.weebly.com/green-alternative.html