hexane

American  

[hek-seyn] / ˈhɛk seɪn /

noun

1. any of five isomeric hydrocarbons having the formula C 6 H 14 , of the alkane series, some of which are obtained from petroleum: used as solvents and chemical intermediates and in fuels.

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hexane British  

/ ˈhɛkseɪn /

noun

1. a liquid alkane existing in five isomeric forms that are found in petroleum and used as solvents, esp the isomer with a straight chain of carbon atoms ( n- hexane). Formula: C 6 H 14

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hexane Scientific  

/ hĕk′sān′ /

1. A colorless flammable liquid derived from the fractional distillation of petroleum. It is used as a solvent and in low-temperature thermometers. Hexane is the sixth member of the alkane series. Chemical formula: C ₆ H ₁₄ .

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Etymology

Origin of hexane

First recorded in 1875–80; hex- ( def. ) + -ane

Example Sentences

Another criticism is that seed oil manufacturers use heat and solvents, such as hexane, to extract oil from seeds, creating unhealthy transfats and chemical contaminants.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 6, 2023

Kimberly Terrell, a staff scientist at Tulane University’s Environmental Law Clinic, calculates Formosa’s plant would emit 95 tons of cancer-causing chemicals a year, including hexane, carbon monoxide and benzene.

From Washington Post • Apr. 19, 2021

While the industry says virtually all of the chemical is eliminated before soya protein reaches the market, for some consumers the use of hexane was a deal breaker.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2019

Likewise note the solubility of oxygen in hexane, C6H14, is approximately 20 times greater than it is in water because greater dispersion forces exist between oxygen and the larger hexane molecules.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Benzene, C6H6, evidently is like hexane, C6H14, in having a chain of six carbon atoms, but it has dropped its H's like an Englishman.

From Creative Chemistry Descriptive of Recent Achievements in the Chemical Industries by Slosson, Edwin E.