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Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons are compounds of carbon and hydrogen. Under ordinary conditions some of the hydrocarbons are gases, others are liquids, and still others are solids. Propane, gasoline, kerosene, lubricating oils, Vaseline and paraffin are all hydrocarbons. Other hydrocarbons serve as the raw material for dyes, medicines and other end products.

Paraffin Hydrocarbons - A mixture of some of the solid compounds of this series. Paraffin hydrocarbons satisfy the general formula CnH2n+2. The low carbon compounds of this series, such as methane, ethane, propane and butane, are gases under ordinary conditions. Compounds with 5 to 16 carbon atoms are liquids, and those materials that contain more than 16 carbon atoms are solid at ordinary conditions. Paraffin hydrocarbons are also known as saturated hydrocarbons.

Aromatic Hydrocarbons - Hydrocarbons characterized by a molecular structure with 6 carbon atom rings. The solvents benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, etc., are all typical aromatic hydrocarbons. The compounds of this series are liquids under ordinary conditions.

Olefin Hydrocarbons - Stable organic liquids defined by a molecular structure containing at least one pair of double bonded carbon atoms. Ethylene and propylene are typical examples of elefin hydrocarbons.

Normal Hydrocarbons - These are compounds in which all of the carbon atoms of the molecule are in a single unbranched chain. Typical of this group is normal-hexane.

Branched Chain Hydrocarbons - A compound in which not all of the carbon atoms of the molecule are in a single chain. The simplest is isobutane.