Acetone is a clear, colourless, volatile liquid with a mildly pungent, characteristic sweet, slight aromatic, fruity odour. It is an EXTREMELY FLAMMABLE LIQUID AND VAPOUR. The vapour is heavier than air and may spread long distances making distant ignition and flashback possible. Acetone is a mild central nervous system depressant. Very high concentrations may cause headache, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, incoordination and confusion. It also causes eye irritation. It is an aspiration hazard and swallowing or vomiting of the liquid may result in aspiration into the lungs.

Used as a solvent in formulations for surface coatings and related washes and thinners, mainly for acrylic and nitrocellulose lacquers and paints; as a spinning solvent in the manufacture of cellulose acetate; as a solvent in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; as a solvent for adhesives, contact cements, printing inks, gums, waxes, resins, fats, greases, oils and dyestuffs; for degreasing wool and degumming silk; in extraction processes; in the manufacture of smokeless powder; as a cleaning solvent in the electronics industry; and as a carrier for acetylene in cylinders. Used as a chemical intermediate for methyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid, methyl isobutyl ketone, bisphenol A, and aldol chemicals, such as diacetone alcohol and isophorone; also used to make functional compounds, such as antioxidants, herbicides, higher ketones, condensates with formaldehyde or diphenylamine, and vitamin intermediates.

Acetone is a natural product of metabolism in the body and virtually every organ and tissue, and the blood contains some acetone. Other natural sources include forest fires, volcanoes and metabolism of vegetation, insects and higher animals.

Available commercially in grades of greater than 99% purity, with the remainder being mainly water (less than 0.5 wt%). Other impurities present depend on the method of manufacture and may include very small amounts of phenol and benzene.

Acetone is also known as dimethyl formaldehyde, dimethylketal, dimethyl ketone, ketone propane, beta-ketopropane, methyl ketone, 2-propanone, pyroacetic acid, and pyroacetic ether.

Its CAS Registry Number is 67-64-1. This number is assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) in the United States and is used as a unique identifier number world-wide.