Description
Physical Characteristics
Physical State: Liquid
Name in Chinese: 70% 正己烷
Color: Colorless
Odor: Gasoline-like
pH: Not available.
Vapor Pressure: 151 mm Hg @ 25°C
Vapor Density: 2.97 (air=1)
Evaporation Rate: Not available.
Viscosity: 0.31 mPas at 20°C
Boiling Point: 62-69°C at 760 mm Hg
Freezing/Melting Point: -95°C
Decomposition Temperature: Not available.
Solubility in water: Insoluble
Specific Gravity/Density: 0.678
Molecular Formula: C6H14
Molecular Weight: 86.18
Evaporation rate: Fast
Solvency Power: Medium
Odour: Low
Impurities: Very Low
Key Technical Properties
Boiling Range: 66-70°C
Flash Point -30°C
Aromatics Content: <5 mg/kg
Benzene Content: <3 mg/kg
n-Hexane Content: ≥70%
Aniline point: 65°C
Uses:
In industry, hexanes are used in the formulation of glues for shoes, leather products, and roofing. They are also used to extract cooking oils (such as canola oil or soy oil) from seeds, for cleansing and degreasing a variety of items, and in textile manufacturing. It is commonly used in food based soybean oil extraction.
A typical laboratory use of hexanes is to extract oil and grease contaminants from water and soil for analysis. Since hexane cannot be easily deprotonated, it is used in the laboratory for reactions that involve very strong bases, such as the preparation of organolithiums. For example, butyllithiums are typically supplied as a hexane solution.
Hexanes are commonly used in chromatography as a non-polar solvent. Higher alkanes present as impurities in hexanes have similar retention times as the solvent, meaning that fractions containing hexane will also contain these impurities. In preparative chromatography, concentration of a large volume of hexanes can result in a sample that is appreciably contaminated by alkanes. This may result in a solid compound being obtained as an oil and the alkanes may interfere with analysis.
In many applications (especially pharmaceutical), the use of n-Hexane is being phased out due to its long term toxicity. It is often replaced by n-Heptane, which will not form the toxic metabolite hexane-2,5-dione.
Main Applications:
● Extraction
● Polymerisation
● Paints & Coatings
● Adhesives & Sealants
● Rubber/tyres
● Cleaning/degreasing
● Textiles
● Pharmaceuticals
Transport Information
UN Number
UN RTDG: UN
1208
IMDG-Code: UN 1208
ICAO-TI UN: 1208
UN Proper Shipping Name
UN RTDG: HEXANES
IMDG-Code: HEXANES
ICAO-TI: Hexanes
Transport Hazard Class(es)
UN RTDG: 3
IMDG-Code: 3
ICAO-TI: 3
14.4 Packing group
UN RTDG II
IMDG-Code: II
ICAO-TI: II
Environmental hazards hazardous to the aquatic environment