The Benefits of Heptane

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What is Heptane?

Heptane is a colorless liquid hydrocarbon of the alkane series. It is derived from crude oils such as petroleum. It has a gas-like odor and is often found in gasoline.

Benefits of Heptane

  • Low density.
  • Insoluble in water.
  • Low boiling point.
  • Low toxicity.
  • Slow evaporation rate.

Common Heptane Applications

Heptane is often utilized as a non-polar solvent both industrially and in small laboratory applications.

Heptane is used in labs as a reagent, a solvent, and for organic synthesis.

Heptane Industrial Applications

Industrially, Heptane is used to manufacture various types of ink including printer ink, and stamp pad ink.

Heptane is also used to produce cements, compounders, and hospital anesthetics.

Heptane is also used to extract oil from vegetables as a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional machine press method.

Pure Heptane or Hexane are not used for vegetable oil extraction, but rather a mixture of isomers that comprise commercial grade Heptane or Hexane.

Consumer Applications

Heptane is a component of many common consumer products.

Heptane is found in rubber cement, outdoor stove fuel, and in paint coatings.

Printer ink bought in stores also contains Heptane–solvents like Heptane are common in types of ink, because they suspend the dye and help contribute to the final product being smooth, glossy, and long lasting.

Heptane and Gasoline

Heptane is known best to consumers by its role in the creation of common gasoline.

Heptane and similar products like Hexane are derived from crude oils.

The same petroleum that becomes fuel for the average car is what will create Heptane and Hexane.

Heptane has its own special role in the fuel industry.

The commonly known Octane rating scale would not exist without Heptane.

The Octane scale rates how good or bad a specific brand of fuel is supposed to be for a car’s engine.

Pure Heptane sits at 0% on the Octane scale–the higher the rating, the more compression the fuel can handle before igniting.

Therefore, Heptane is better off in a laboratory or a warehouse than in a car’s engine.

Safety and Handling

Heptane is less toxic than products like MEK or Hexane, but proper safety measures should always be taken when handling this product:

  • Heptane has highly flammable liquids and vapors.
  • Heptane may be fatal if swallowed.
  • Heptane causes skin erosion or irritation.
  • Store in a cool dry place away from heat sources.
  • Liquid causes irritation to eyes and nose.
  • Read the SDS for Heptane before making use of the product.

If you would like to purchase Heptane, please call (800)-563-1305 or shop online here.

The Benefits of Hexane

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What is Hexane?

Hexane is derived from crude oils such as petroleum and is typically utilized as an industrial solvent. Hexane is a clear colorless liquid with a petroleum like odor.

Benefits of Hexane

  • Low boiling point.
  • Low surface tension.
  • Low flash point.
  • Low solubility.

Common Applications

Hexane is commonly utilized as an industrial solvent used to manufacture products like paint thinner.

Industrial Applications

Hexane is often utilized to manufacture adhesives and similar products in which it acts as a strong cleaning agent. Hexane is also used as a cleaning agent during the manufacturing of the printing, textiles, and shoemaking industries. Hexane is present in glues used in shoemaking and roofing. It is also utilized for vegetable oil extraction from soybeans and other plants. This process is more environmentally friendly and more cost efficient than the traditional mechanical press method. Pure Hexane is not commonly used for vegetable oil extraction, but rather a mixture of isomers that comprise commercial Hexane. Hexane is utilized as a solvent and cleaning agent by the military and aerospace industries.

Consumer Applications

Consumer products containing Hexane include rubber cement, quick drying glues, gasoline, and paint remover.

Laboratory Applications

Hexane is often utilized as a solvent and reagent in laboratories. Sometimes solvents would need to be removed from lab reagents for the experiment being conducted. Rotary Evaporators or rotavapors are machines that are used to remove solvents like Hexane and Heptane from reaction mixtures. Rotary evaporators are common in most organic laboratories since they allow the removal to be performed swiftly and efficiently.

Hexane and Rotary Evaporators

Hexane and similar solvents like Heptane, Ethanol, Ethyl Acetate, Methanol, and Diethyl Ether, are removed from reaction mixtures by tools called Rotary Evaporators.

How It Works

The rotary evaporator features a heated water bath in a metal container or crystallization dish so that the solvent will not freeze during the evaporation process.

The solvent and the reaction mixture are located inside of the rotary evaporator with the heated bath.

The solvent is removed from the reaction mixture by using a vacuum attached to the rotary evaporator that traps the solvent for easy disposal.

Laboratories often employ a simple water aspirator vacuum on their rotary evaporators.

A circulation bath or a membrane pump are typically used as the source for the vacuum.

The use of the vacuum means that the boiling points of the solvents are going to become significantly lower than normal.

A flask is connected to the rotary evaporator and the flask rotates during the evaporation process.

This flask is what collects the solvent for disposal.

Hexane Safety and Handling

When utilizing volatile compounds such as Hexane it is important to follow proper safety measures:

  • Like Heptane, Hexane is a highly flammable liquid and vapor.
  • Causes skin irritation.
  • May cause an allergic skin reaction.
  • May cause drowsiness or dizziness.

If you would like to purchase Hexane, please call (800)-563-1305 or shop Hexane online here.

Heptane and Hexane In Gasoline

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Heptane and Hexane are both derived from crude oils. This origin means that they are made from petroleum, and that is why Heptane and Hexane are both commonly found in gasoline.

Heptane and the Octane Scale

Heptane and Hexane are both components of gasoline, but Heptane has its own special role in gasoline. Heptane helps to determine the Octane rating for fuel.

Pure Heptane has a zero rating on the octane. The higher the octane rating, the better a fuel is meant to be for your car’s engine, because the octane rating measures a fuel’s ability to resist engine knock at high compression.

Engine knocking is when an air-fuel mixture combustion occurs outside of front ignition combustion caused by the spark plug.

Heptane is highly flammable and very likely to combust, which is why pure Heptane fuel measure zero on the octane scale. Gasoline companies boast of “high-octane” fuel to let consumers know that their product is good for car engines–or to let people think that it is.

Toxicity

Both Heptane and Hexane are toxic, but Hexane is more toxic than Heptane. Both substances have highly flammable liquids and vapors.

Other Common Applications

Heptane and Hexane can both be used as solvents. Hexane is often utilized by the military and aerospace industries.

Both substances are used as industrial cleaners.

Heptane can be used for outdoor stove fuel, in rubber cement, and in certain paint coatings. Heptane is also utilized in anesthetics, cements, compounders, inks, lab reagents, organic synthesis, and as a general laboratory solvent.

Heptane and Hexane are used often to extract vegetable oils from seeds and plants. Hexane is used most often for this purpose.

Hexane residue is sometimes left on certain vegetables, such as soy-based foods, but it is a negligible amount that would be non-toxic upon ingestion.

 

Using Hexane to extract oils is more cost efficient and more environmentally friendly than the traditional method of using mechanical presses to retrieve soybean or other oils. This benefit is why the risk is worth the reward when it comes to using Hexane instead of the press method.

Pure Hexane is not used to extract vegetable oils, but rather a mixture of isomers used to comprise commercial grade Hexane.

Heptane and Hexane Safety and Handling

  • Heptane and Hexane should be used in a well-ventilated area.
  • Cause skin irritation.
  • May cause drowsiness or dizziness.
  • Toxic to organs upon prolonged exposure.
  • Toxic to aquatic life.

If you would like to purchase Hexane or Heptane please call (800)-563-1305 or shop our commodity chemicals here.

why heptane and hexane are in gasoline

How to Safely Handle Methylene Chloride

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Methylene Chloride, also known as Dichloromethane, is a colorless liquid with a density that is heavier than water. Methylene Chloride is used as a solvent and is good for resins, rubber, cellulose acetate, waxes and more. It is useful as a paint stripper and degreasing agent. It is also used in paint removers, as a solvent for plastics, a blowing agent in polyurethane foams, and more. While Methylene Chloride can be useful for a variety of industries, it is also viewed as a potential occupational carcinogen by several organizations such as the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration due to the compound being volatile.

Dichloromethane Risks

Dichloromethane has significant chronic exposure hazards with one being human carcinogenicity. Exposure to methylene chloride can affect not only create a health hazard for workers but also can create a safety hazard since extreme temperatures can cause closed containers to explode. Inhaling methylene chloride could cause symptoms such as lightheadedness, headaches, vomiting, and even nausea. If exposed to methylene chloride, exposure could cause chest pains. Skin contact may cause irritation and even skin burns if the chemical remains on the skin.

Here are some guidelines on how to work safely with methylene chloride, also known as dichloromethane, to ensure safe work environments:

  1. Wash all areas that come into contact with Methylene Chloride immediately and thoroughly with soap and water.
  2. Make sure to provide the appropriate protective equipment to workers such as safety glasses with side shields, splash-proof goggles, chemical resistant aprons, lab coats, gloves, and more.
  3. Require workers to change clothing items that have become contaminated with the chemical compound, methylene chloride.
  4. Employ effective engineering controls, good work practices, and proper maintenance procedures.
  5. Storing food, eating, drinking, and smoking should all be prohibited from areas where methylene chloride is stored or used.
  6. Make sure that methylene chloride waste is disposed of as hazardous waste.

Interested In Purchasing Methylene Chloride also known as Dichloromethane?

Make sure to practice these safe handling tips to ensure that you and your organization are working safely with methylene chloride, also known as dichloromethane. If you’re in the market for Methylene Chloride, please call us today at (800) 563-1305, send us an email through our contact form, or shop online here. For over 25 years, we’ve provided stock and custom cleaners that have an amazing efficacy. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing how we can help with all of your solvent needs!

Ethyl Acetate in Cosmetics

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What is Ethyl Acetate?

Ethyl Acetate is a moderately polar, clear, colorless liquid solvent with a light fruity odor. Ethyl Acetate, also known as ethyl ethanoate, is a widely used solvent in organic synthesis that is highly miscible with common organic solvents. It is known for being cost-effective, highly effective and breaks easily in both air and water simultaneously. Ethyl Acetate is commonly known to be used not only for the pharmaceutical industry and for industrial purposes but also is commonly used within the cosmetics industry.

Ethyl Acetate in the Cosmetics Industry

Ethyl Acetate is a common ingredient in the cosmetics industry due to its low cost, low toxicity, and its sweet, fruity odor. Ethyl Acetate is often found in nail polish, nail polish removers, basecoats, and other manicuring products. Ethyl Acetate is used to thin and dissolve other substances including nitrocellulose, the basic film-forming material in nail polish. Therefore, it is an important and effective ingredient in the nail care industry and nail polish removers.

Ethyl Acetate may be used as a gelling agent in the manufacture of powder, essences, and perfumes. Ethyl Acetate can found in perfumes for many reasons. One of the main reasons ethyl acetate is used in perfumes is due to ethyl acetate’s ability to evaporate on the skin quickly, leaving the perfume’s fragrance to stay on the skin and linger without any unappealing residue such as an oily or an alcoholic residue. In addition, ethyl acetate can contribute to the perfume’s aroma thanks to its sweet, fruity smell. Ethyl acetate is also a common ingredient in mascara and teeth whitening products.

Looking for a New Supplier of Ethyl Acetate?

We’ve got you covered! At Ecolink, we have a team of professionals who can help you get the exact chemicals you need for your precise manufacturing process. Call us directly 800-563-1305, request more information here, or shop conveniently online below!

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