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hydrocarbons

Cultural  
  1. Chemical compounds whose main feature is a long chain of carbon atoms bonded to hydrogen atoms. Hydrocarbons are organic molecules (see also organic molecule).


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Many hydrocarbons are used as fuels. Some examples of hydrocarbon fuels are the components of gasoline; methane, which is the main ingredient of natural gas; and some components of wood.

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Earlier approaches for converting polyethylene into gasoline have typically relied on pyrolysis, a process that uses intense heat to break large polymer molecules into smaller hydrocarbons.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

Carney was born in Fort Smith, a remote town in Canada's Northwest Territories, and was raised in Edmonton, Alberta, a province rich in hydrocarbons.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

A TERA’s streamlined approvals under the tribe’s management apply to renewable energy as readily as hydrocarbons.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Rather, the fuel — overwhelmingly purchased legally in the United States — arrives at seaports and border crossings via ships, trains and trucks, part of the daily deluge of imported hydrocarbons.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

The fact that every meal we eat carries its load of chlorinated hydrocarbons is the inevitable consequence of the almost universal spraying or dusting of agricultural crops with these poisons.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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