Petroleum ether is a flammable liquid used as a universal solvent and extractant when processing different chemicals such as fats, waxes, paints, varnishes, furniture polishes, cleaners and fuels. Major components include paraffins, olefins, naphthenes, aromatics and about 10%–40% ethanol. A colorless liquid with a hydrocarbon odour.
Petroleum ether is an organic solvent made from aliphatic hydrocarbons with the chemical formula C6H14. Misnomer, this chemical does not contain ether functional groups.
Petroleum ether is a petroleum distillate consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons with a boiling point range of 35–60 °C and is commonly used as a laboratory solvent. [4] Despite its name, petroleum ether is not classified as an ether. The term is used figuratively only, to denote extreme lightness and volatility.
The lightest, most volatile liquid hydrocarbon solvents that can be purchased from laboratory chemical suppliers are also likely to be available under the name petroleum ether. Petroleum ether is mainly composed of aliphatic hydrocarbons, and the content of aromatic hydrocarbons is usually low. It is usually hydrodesulfurized and can also be hydrogenated to reduce the content of aromatics and other unsaturated hydrocarbons. Petroleum ether usually has a descriptive suffix giving the boiling range. Therefore, various petroleum ethers with boiling ranges of 30–50 °C, 40–60 °C, 50–70 °C, 60–80 °C, etc. can be purchased from leading international laboratory chemical suppliers. In the United States, laboratory-grade aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents with boiling ranges up to 100–140 °C may be referred to as petroleum ether rather than naphtha.
The use of fractions with a boiling point range greater than 20 °C is not recommended as more volatile fractions may be lost during e.g. recrystallization, resulting in different solubility characteristics of the higher boiling residue.
