ausnewbie
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Hexane or Pentane?
Silly question and unusual situation,
A friend of mine is clearing out a vacated lease and the old tenant ( mining analysis company) left behind a lot of stuff, but there are some
reagents, in particular unopened bottles of 2.5 litres Pentane and anhydrous hextane in the back of a storeroom.
Hes asked if im interested, and I can probably see a use for HEXANE, as I mainly work with essential oil extracts and neutraceuticals (thymoquinone
and curcuminoids) so a hexane extract could be of interest, but not necessarily on my radar.
Anyway I thought Id throw it to the hive mind and look for thoughts and opinions???
I know enough - to know I dont know enough. :-)
AN
[Edited on 4-7-2018 by ausnewbie]
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Sulaiman
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I don't know if the pentane is useful to you,
but a bottle that can store pentane surely is worth saving ?
I'm an OC noob but I doubt that there is much difference in the chemistry of pentane and hexane,
just the b.p. difference which could be useful ?
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Metacelsus
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Hexane is quite useful as a nonpolar solvent, but if you're using it you need to have adequate ventilation. The vapors can cause neurotoxicity (this
is due to a toxic metabolite, 2,5-hexanedione). Likewise, if you plan to make essential oil extracts, all traces of hexane must be removed before use.
Pentane is less toxic ( see: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7426474 ) but more flammable.
[Edited on 7-4-2018 by Metacelsus]
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ausnewbie
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thank you guys they were my thoughts as well.
Hexane has some potential (outside or in my makeshift fume hood), but I dont think pentane brings any more benefits. although a boiling point of 35C
is useful Vs 68c ( imho).
Think I'll opt for the hexane. Thanks to all of you all for your thoughts.
AN
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alking
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Pentane is essentially hexane with a lower boiling point from an application standpoint, and as mentioned it is probably less toxic. If doing
extractions Pentane would be preferred as it's easier to purge due to that low BP, although while doing the extraction you'll lose a little more for
the same reasons.
edit: I should clarify that I was referring to ROOM TEMPERATURE extractions. If you're trying to speed it up with heat then hexane is probably better.
[Edited on 5-7-2018 by alking]
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Refinery
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This was discussed by passing in another thread, but I'd like to ask is pentane very useful at all to dissolve anything used in basic chemistry? It is
written that it dissolves mostly alkanes?
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DraconicAcid
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Pentane is an excellent solvent for many non-polar substances, including hydrocarbons, some organometallics, and halogenated hydrocarbons. It's also
a good antisolvent for moderately polar organic compounds- dissolve them in a polar organic solvent, and add pentane to get them to crystallize.
[Edited on 27-6-2020 by DraconicAcid]
Please remember: "Filtrate" is not a verb.
Write up your lab reports the way your instructor wants them, not the way your ex-instructor wants them.
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Refinery
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Why I haven't seen common hydrocarbons being used as solvents more often then?
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Bedlasky
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You can use them both, so take both bottles.
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draculic acid69
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Both useful.
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