This ketone is a colourless liquid that is used as a solvent for gums, resins, paints, varnishes, lacquers, and nitrocellulose.

Self-condensation, a type of aldol reaction, produces diacetone alcohol,[3] which readily dehydrates to give 4-methylpent-3-en-2-one (commonly, mesityl oxide).

Acetone is treated with a strongly acidic, palladium catalyst-doped cation exchange resin under medium pressure of hydrogen.

[7] Unlike the other common ketone solvents, acetone and MEK, MIBK has quite low solubility in water, making it useful for liquid-liquid extraction.

When mixed with water or isopropyl alcohol MIBK serves as a developer for PMMA electron beam lithography resist.