Hexane

Names Preferred IUPAC nameOther names Identifiers 1730733 ChEBIChEMBLChemSpiderDrugBankECHA InfoCard100.003.435EC Number1985 KEGGMeSHn-hexaneRTECS numberUNIIUN number1208 Properties C₆H₁₄Molar mass86.178 g·mol Appearance Colorless liquid OdorPetrolic Density0.6606 g/mL Melting point−96 to −94 °C; −141 to −137 °F; 177 to 179 K Boiling point68.5 to 69.1 °C; 155.2 to 156.3 °F; 341.6 to 342.2 K 9.5 mg L log P3.764 Vapor pressure17.60 kPa (at 20.0 °C) 7.6 nmol Pa kg UV-vis (λ_max) 200 nm −74.6·10 cm/mol 1.375 Viscosity0.3 mPa·s 0.08 D Thermochemistry 265.2 J K mol 296.06 J K mol −199.4–−198.0 kJ mol −4180–−4140 kJ mol Hazards Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH): Reproductive toxicity – After aspiration, pulmonary oedema, pneumonitisGHS labelling: DangerH225, H302, H305, H315, H336, H361fd, H373, H411P201, P202, P210, P233, P235, P240, P241, P242, P243, P260, P264, P271, P273, P280, P281, P301+P330+P331, P302+P352, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P308+P313, P310, P312, P314, P332+P313, P363, P370+P378, P391, P403+P233, P405, P501NFPA 704 (fire diamond) Flash point−26.0 °C (−14.8 °F; 247.2 K) 234.0 °C (453.2 °F; 507.1 K) Explosive limits1.2–7.7% Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): 25 g kg (oral, rat)
28710 mg/kg (rat, oral) 56137 mg/kg (rat, oral) NIOSH (US health exposure limits): TWA 500 ppm (1800 mg/m) TWA 50 ppm (180 mg/m) 1100 ppm Related compounds Supplementary data page Hexane (data page)

Hexane () or n-hexane is an organic compound, a straight-chain alkane with six carbon atoms and the molecular formula C₆H₁₄.

Hexane is a colorless liquid, odorless when pure, and with a boiling point of approximately 69 °C (156 °F). It is widely used as a cheap, relatively safe, largely unreactive, and easily evaporated non-polar solvent, and modern gasoline blends contain about 3% hexane.

The term hexanes refers to a mixture, composed largely (>60%) of n-hexane, with varying amounts of the isomeric compounds 2-methylpentane and 3-methylpentane, and possibly, smaller amounts of nonisomeric C₅, C₆, and C₇ (cyclo)alkanes. These "hexanes" mixtures are cheaper than pure hexane, and are often used in large-scale operations that don't require a single isomer (e.g., as cleaning solvent or for chromatography).