Will Acetone Damage Rubber Seals?

Will acetone eat through plastic? And if it does, what are the ways to avoid that? This article explains all of that in detail.

Before we explain whether acetone will eat through plastic, it is important to understand both the acetone and the plastics and rubbers that can be affected by acetone. Let’s review all of that first:

What is Acetone?

Acetone or (CH₃)₂CO is the simplest ketone in its family and exists as a colorless and extremely flammable liquid. It is one of the most abundantly mass-produced chemicals in the current industry and finds its use in many cosmetic products. Acetones are also quite reactive and are used as a solvent for many organic and some inorganic materials. The reason behind its reactivity is due to the presence of the carbonyl group (C=O) in its core ketone functional group.

Which Rubber and Plastic We are Talking About?

Rubber is all around us. It comes in different shapes, and sizes and different materials but due to its complexity and versatility, it is sometimes confused with plastics. By definition, they are a group of polymers, that can be both synthetic or natural and have an elastic nature. When they are natural, they are obtained from the latex of various plants (typically from a plant called Hevea Brasiliense’s). If synthetic, they are obtained from a process called “polymerization” of organic compounds.

Plastics are polymers that can be natural or partially natural. They can be of various elastic forms or can be as hard as a metal. When it comes to types of plastics, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polyvinyl Chloride are the most common plastics that surround all of us in everyday life. When it comes to seals, rubber, and plastics both can be found, it depends on what is the application and use of the seal.

When it comes to automotive seals, you will most likely be dealing with rubber. The reason is that such seals require damping and elastic properties in cars, especially in the doors and other moving parts. Plastics like nylon and polyurethane are used in certain scenarios where high wear resistance and chemical attacks are crucial.

Will Acetone Eat through Rubber?

As we mentioned before, acetone is a great solvent for several organic and inorganic materials. When it comes to acetone on rubber, it will definitely “eat through” or damage the rubber surface due to its reactivity. Even materials like Vaseline, mineral oil, and petroleum solvents are responsible for significant damage to rubber. However, the amount of damage depends on the type of rubber and acetone as well. It should also be noted that acetone will not right away eat through rubber as it takes prolonged exposure for it to do its damaging action. So, it is completely fine for cleaning purposes or if it is spilled over. But repeated and longer exposure will surely damage the rubber integrity.

Rubber seals which are most commonly used in automotive seals are not prone to acetone damage because they are made from a special type of rubber that is made to resist such chemical attacks. Most common examples of such automotive seal rubbers are nitrile rubber, ethylene propylene diene monomer) and neoprene.

Will Acetone Eat through Plastic

Certain plastics are also prone to damage by acetones, especially when exposed for a long period. The damage can be just a surface scaring to the scale where it can totally dissolve the plastic. There is a wide range of commercially available plastics being produced in the industry but these three are most susceptible to acetone damage: polystyrene, polycarbonate, and acrylic plastics. Acetone can crack, crystalize, or be cloudy in these types of plastics. Polystyrene however can be completely dissolved and softened by acetone.

Wrapping Up:

In this article, we explained the question “Will acetone eat through plastic and rubber. Rubbers and plastics are both prone to scarring and damage by acetone exposure, but the ones used in automotive seals are generally not affected by it. Both plastics and rubbers are made in a wide range of varieties depending on their use. The damage caused by acetone varies between different types of plastics and rubbers.