n-Hexane

 

Specification

n-Hexane is a chemical made from crude oil. Pure n-hexane is a colorless liquid with a slightly disagreeable odor. It evaporates very easily into the air and dissolves only slightly in water.

n-Hexane is highly flammable, and its vapors can be explosive.

Pure n-hexane is used in laboratories. Most of the n-hexane used in industry is mixed with similar chemicals in products known as solvents. Common names for some of these solvents are “commercial hexane,” “mixed hexanes,” “petroleum ether,” and “petroleum naphtha.”

 

Application

  • extract vegetable oils from crops such as soybeans
  • used as cleaning agents in the printing, textile, furniture, and shoemaking industries
  • Certain kinds of special glues used in the roofing and the shoe and leather industries also contain n-hexane.