Solvent

A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature. Common uses for organic solvents are in dry cleaning, as a paint thinner, as nail polish removers and glue solvents, in spot removers, in detergents, in perfumes, and in chemical synthesis. The use of inorganic solvents (other than water) is typically limited to research chemistry and some technological processes. Solvents can be broadly classified into two categories: polar and non-polar.

Example Solvents Product :

Solvent Cleaner

Polar solvents are compounds such as water and liquid ammonia, which have dipole moments and consequently high dielectric constants. These solvents are capable of dissolving ionic compounds or covalent compounds that ionize. Propanol, butanol, formic acid, formamide are polar solvents.

Nonpolar solvents are compounds such as ethoxyethane and benzene, which do not have permanent dipole moments. These do not dissolve ionic compounds but will dissolve nonpolar covalent compounds. Hexane, tetrahydrofuran and methylene chloride are non-polar solvents. Solvents can be further categorized according to their proton-donating and accepting properties. Amphiprotic solvents self-ionize and can therefore act both as proton donators and acceptors.

Polar solvents are hydrophilic but non-polar solvents are lipophilic. Polar reactants will dissolve in polar solvents. Non-polar solvents dissolve non-polar compounds best. Oil and water don't mix but separate into two layers. There are three measures of the polarity as "dipole moment", "dielectric constant" and "miscibility with water". Though low dipole moments and small dielectric constants indicates non-polar solvents, sharp boundaries between polar and non-polar solvents are not available. The polarity reflects the balance between a polar component (OH) and a non-polar hydrocarbon component, existing in the same molecule. If hydrocarbon character increases relatively, the polarity decreases. On an operational basis, solvents that are miscible with water are polar.(www.chemicalland21.com)