Isophorone, an alpha, beta-unsaturated ketone, is also an industrial solvent used in a variety of different applications. Most of the isophorone used in industry is used in vinyl coatings and inks.
Isophorone is an insoluble, colorless to white liquid and has an odor similar to peppermint. Its characteristic odor is detectable at concentrations as low as 1.00 mg/m3 (0.2 ppm) (Ruth, 1986). Although not highly volatile, with a vapor pressure of 0.438mm Hg at 25 °C.

Isophorone is a colorless low volatility liquid that smells like peppermint. It is miscible with most organic solvents and can dissolve 1.2g in 100g of water. When exposed to light, it becomes a dimer, which is oxidized in air to generate 4,4,6-Trimethyl-1,2-cyclohexanedione.

Reported found in Burley tobacco, cranberry, macadamia nuts, peas, roasted filbert, saffron, wine, osmanthus, grapefruit juice, papaya, kohlrabi, Parmesan cheese, roast beef, black tea, oats, Japanese plum, prunes, plumcot, starfruit, mango, rice, buckwheat, okra and sweet grass oil. Isophorone is used as a solvent for vinylresins and cellulose esters, and in pesticides. solvent in some printing inks, paints, lacquers and adhesives. As a cyclic unsaturated ketone, isophorone can be aromatized to 3,5-dimethylphenol or 2,3,5-trimethylphenol. Hydrogenation leads, depending on conditions, to 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanone or 3,3,5- trimethylcyclohexanol, from which trimethyladipic acid is obtained by oxidation.

Trimethyladipic acid is used for the production of 2,2,4- trimethylhexamethylenediamine, which is a precursor for polyamides and polyurethanes. Addition of hydrogen cyanide to the olefinic double bond, followed by amination of the keto group in the presence of hydrogen, gives 3,5,5-trimethyl-3-aminomethylcyclohexylamine [2855-13-2], isophorone diamine. Reaction of the latter with phosgene gives isophorone diisocyanate [4098-71-9]. Both compounds are used in large quantities for the production of polymers, mainly polyurethanes. Worldwide production capacity for isophorone is ca. 50 000 t/a.