Petroleum ether

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Petroleum ether

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Template:Longitem	Template:Chembox Elements/molecular formula
Molar mass	82.2 g/mol
Appearance	Volatile, clear, colorless and non-fluorescent liquid
Density	0.653 g/mL
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Solubility in Ethanol	soluble
Vapor pressure	31 kPa (20 °C)
Template:Longitem	1.370
Viscosity	0.46 mPa·s
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Explosive limits	1.4–5.9 %
Template:Longitem	300 ppm (1370 mg/m3) 8 h TWA (TWA)
Template:Longitem	Ligroin, Petroleum benzine, Petroleum spirit, Stoddard solvent, Naphtha, White spirit

Petroleum ether is the petroleum fraction consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons and boiling in the range 35–60 °C, and commonly used as a laboratory solvent. Despite the name, petroleum ether is not an ether.

Properties

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litre bottle

Petroleum ether consists mainly of aliphatic hydrocarbons and is usually low in aromatics. It is commonly hydrodesulfurized and may be hydrogenated to reduce the amount of aromatic and other unsaturated hydrocarbons.

Standards

DIN 51630 has an initial boiling point above 25 °C, and its final boiling point up to 80 °C.

Safety

Fires should be fought with foam, carbon dioxide, dry chemical or carbon tetrachloride.

The naphtha mixtures that are distilled at a lower boiling temperature have a higher volatility and, generally speaking, a higher degree of toxicity than the higher boiling fractions.

Inhalation overexposure causes primarily central nervous system (CNS) effects (headaches, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and incoordination). In general, the toxicity is more pronounced with petroleum ethers containing higher concentrations of aromatic compounds. n-Hexane causes axonal damage in peripheral nerves.

Skin contact can cause allergic contact dermatitis.

Petroleum-derived distillates have not been shown to be carcinogenic in humans. Petroleum ether degrades rapidly in soil and water.