Do molecules of alcohol stick to molecules of oil/grease, and then when alcohol evaporates it takes grease with it? Or does it break down molecules of grease into something else?
In: Chemistry
It’s essentially the first one. The alcohol or acetone dissolves the grease. As to why, molecules can be either polar or non-polar, and usually only like dissolves like. Water won’t wash away grease because water is a polar molecule, and grease molecules are non-polar. This is why non-polar solvents like alcohols and longer alkanes work to dissolve the grease.
Molecules can be greasy or more like water, acetone and alcohol are kinda in the middle of those 2, meaning they can interact with both. They can dissolve grease or oils where water can’t. If it evaporates when the grease is dissolved, the grease will still remain on the surface, maybe a bit more spread out, so you usually wipe it down when there is still solvent.
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