Industrial Occurrence
Acetone peroxides are common and unwanted by-products of oxidation reactions, such as those used in phenol syntheses. Due to their explosivity, they are hazardous. Numerous methods are used to reduce their production—shifting the pH to more alkaline, adjusting the reaction temperature, or adding a soluble copper(II) compound.
Acetone peroxide and benzoyl peroxide are used as flour bleaching agents to bleach and "mature" flour.
Ketone peroxides, including acetone peroxide, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, and benzoyl peroxide, find applications as initiators for polymerization reactions of e.g. silicone or polyester resins, often encountered when making fiberglass-reinforced composites. For these uses, the peroxides are typically in the form of a dilute solution in an organic solvent, though even commercial products with higher concentrations of organic peroxides can form crystals around the lid when older, making the can shock-sensitive. Methyl ethyl ketone is more common for this purpose, as it is stable in storage.
Read more about this topic: Acetone Peroxide
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—Oscar Wilde (1854–1900)