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Can you use acetone to clean engine parts?
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+ Engines
+ Acetone
+ Cleaning
+ Chemistry
Posted by
Kane Cochrane
Can you use acetone to clean engine parts?
Acetone will work “pretty well” for cleaning oily engine parts. Using something like mineral spirits (paint thinner) works a little better and has some advantages over acetone.
Mineral spirits are “same-same” for cleaning hydrocarbon gunk - oil and grease - from metal parts. Mineral spirits are chemically very similar to oil and grease and will, therefore, dissolve oil and grease quite well.
Mineral spirits will also clean oil and grease from rubber and plastic parts without affecting (ruining) the rubber or plastic. Acetone, on the other hand, will alter the surface or shape of some rubber or plastic parts. Acetone also makes a decent paint remover, so cleaning painted parts can be problematical when using acetone. Mineral spirits wont ruin a painted surface.
Sometimes greasy parts are left to soak in a container of solvent for a while to effect the cleaning process. Acetone tends to evaporate much more quickly than mineral spirits. Your acetone bath will get smaller (shallower) over time where a mineral spirits bath will not.
Acetone is much more flammable than mineral spirits. Risk of fire is greater when working with open containers of acetone.
Acetone is more expensive than mineral spirits - about 20% more.
Acetone will work “pretty well” for cleaning oily engine parts. Using something like mineral spirits (paint thinner) works a little better and has some advantages over acetone.
Mineral spirits are “same-same” for cleaning hydrocarbon gunk - oil and grease - from metal parts. Mineral spirits are chemically very similar to oil and grease and will, therefore, dissolve oil and grease quite well.
Mineral spirits will also clean oil and grease from rubber and plastic parts without affecting (ruining) the rubber or plastic. Acetone, on the other hand, will alter the surface or shape of some rubber or plastic parts. Acetone also makes a decent paint remover, so cleaning painted parts can be problematical when using acetone. Mineral spirits wont ruin a painted surface.
Sometimes greasy parts are left to soak in a container of solvent for a while to effect the cleaning process. Acetone tends to evaporate much more quickly than mineral spirits. Your acetone bath will get smaller (shallower) over time where a mineral spirits bath will not.
Acetone is much more flammable than mineral spirits. Risk of fire is greater when working with open containers of acetone.
Acetone is more expensive than mineral spirits - about 20% more.
Acetone will work “pretty well” for cleaning oily engine parts. Using something like mineral spirits (paint thinner) works a little better and has some advantages over acetone.
Thanks for Listening.
Acetone will work “pretty well” for cleaning oily engine parts. Using something like mineral spirits (paint thinner) works a little better and has some advantages over acetone.
Thanks for Listening.
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