Specification of n Hexane
Hexane
is a significant constituent of gasoline. It is a colorless liquid, odorless
when pure, and with boiling points approximately 69 °C (156 °F). It is widely
used as a cheap, relatively safe, largely unreactive, and easily evaporated
non-polar solvent.
The
term hexanes refers to a mixture , composed largely (>60%) of hexane, with
varying amounts of the isomeric compounds 2-methylpentane and 3-methylpentane ,
and, possibly, smaller amounts of nonisomeric C 5 , C 6 , and C 7
(cyclo)alkanes. Hexanes is cheaper than hexane and is often used in large scale
operations not requiring a single isomer (eg, as cleaning solvent or for
chromatography ).
