Acetone is a colorless, transparent liquid with a sharp and irritating odor. It is a flammable and volatile organic solvent and is widely used in industry, medicine, and daily life. In this article, we will explore the identification methods of acetone.

1. Visual identification

Visual identification is one of the simplest methods to identify acetone. Pure acetone is a colorless and transparent liquid, without any impurities or sediment. If you find that the solution is yellowish or turbid, it indicates that there are impurities or sediment in the solution.

2. Infrared spectrum identification

Infrared spectrum identification is a common method to identify the components of organic compounds. Different organic compounds have different infrared spectra, which can be used as a basis for identification. Pure acetone has a characteristic absorption peak at 1735 cm-1 in the infrared spectrum, which is a carbonyl stretching vibration peak of the ketone group. If other compounds appear in the sample, there will be changes in the absorption peak position or appearance of new absorption peaks. Therefore, infrared spectrum identification can be used to identify acetone and distinguish it from other compounds.

3. Gas chromatography identification

Gas chromatography is a method for separating and analyzing volatile organic compounds. It can be used to separate and analyze the components of complex mixtures and detect the content of each component. Pure acetone has a specific chromatographic peak in the gas chromatogram, with a retention time of about 1.8 minutes. If other compounds appear in the sample, there will be changes in the retention time of acetone or appearance of new chromatographic peaks. Therefore, gas chromatography can be used to identify acetone and distinguish it from other compounds.

4. Mass spectrometry identification

Mass spectrometry is a method for identifying organic compounds by ionizing samples in the high vacuum state under high-energy electron beam irradiation, and then detecting the ionized sample molecules by mass spectrograph. Each organic compound has a unique mass spectrum, which can be used as a basis for identification. Pure acetone has a characteristic mass spectrum peak at m/z=43, which is the molecular ion peak of acetone. If other compounds appear in the sample, there will be changes in the mass spectrum peak position or appearance of new mass spectrum peaks. Therefore, mass spectrometry can be used to identify acetone and distinguish it from other compounds.

In summary, visual identification, infrared spectrum identification, gas chromatography identification, and mass spectrometry identification can be used to identify acetone. However, these methods require professional equipment and technical operation, so it is recommended that you use professional testing institutions for identification.