Hydrocarbon mixtures

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Hydrocarbon mixtures are a group of various volatile, highly flammable, mixtures used chiefly as nonpolar solvents.

[edit] Composition

Hydrocarbon mixtures are composed of hydrocarbons, benzine, and petroleum ethers.

A hydrocarbon is any chemical compound that consists only of the elements carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). They all contain a carbon frame, and have hydrogen atoms attached to the frame. Often the term is used as a shortened form of the term aliphatic hydrocarbon. Most hydrocarbons are combustible.

Benzine, also known as petroleum ether, is a hydrocarbon mixture. Benzine should not be confused with benzene. Benzine is a mixture of alkanes, such as pentane, hexane, and heptane. Benzene is a cyclic, aromatic hydrocarbon.

Petroleum ether is obtained from petroleum refineries as the portion of the distillate which is intermediate between the lighter naphtha and the heavier kerosene. It has a specific gravity of between 0.6 and 0.8 depending on its composition. Petroleum ether should not be confused with the class of organic compounds called ethers.