Acetone, the simplest ketone, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. Laboratory denizens commonly use it as a solvent and to clean glassware; it is also a component of nail polish removers. Manufacturers use it as a solvent for fats, oils, and polymers and as a feedstock for making other chemicals. Most acetone is a coproduct of the cumene process, whose main purpose is phenol production. Acetone is mildly toxic, but epilepsy patients can benefit from diets that increase acetone levels in the body.
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