Top 5 Uses of Pentane
Pentane is a cost-effective liquid that has several different industrial and laboratory applications.
- Laboratory Solvents
They are the most volatile liquid alkanes (at room temperature). Because of this, they are commonly used in laboratories as solvents. Although, due to their lack of functionality and non-polarity, they only dissolve other nonpolar and alkyl-rich compounds. Pentanes are miscible with other solvents like ethers, aromatics, and chlorocarbons.
- Chromatography
Pentane is commonly used in chromatography – which is a laboratory technique to separate components in a mixture. The mixture is passed in a suspension or solution through a medium where the components each move at different rates.
- Blowing Agent
Pentane is used as the primary blowing agent in the production of foams like polystyrene. A blowing agent is a substance that is capable of producing a cellular structure through a foaming process. These foams are often used as insulating material in refrigerators and heating pipes
- Binary Fluid
Because of its low boiling point, pentane is used in geothermal power stations as a binary fluid.
- Industrial Ingredient Uses
Due to its ready availability and low cost, pentane is also used as a solvent in many common products like pesticides. It can also be used in making other chemicals, plastics, and low-grade thermometers. Acid-catalyzed isomerization can produce isopentane, which can be used in making fuels.