Editing Hexane (section)

==Uses==
In industry, hexanes are used in the formulation of [[adhesive|glue]]s for shoes, [[leather]] products, and roofing. They are also used to extract [[cooking oil]]s (such as [[canola oil]] or [[soybean oil]]) from seeds, for cleansing and [[degreasing]] a variety of items, and in textile manufacturing.

A typical laboratory use of hexanes is to extract [[petroleum|oil]] and [[grease (lubricant)|grease]] contaminants from water and soil for analysis.<ref>{{cite book | title=Use of ozone depleting substances in laboratories | publisher=Nordisk Ministerråd | publication-place=Kbh | year=2003 | isbn=92-893-0884-2 | oclc=474188215 | url=http://www.norden.org/en/publications/publikationer/2003-516| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716192552/http://www.norden.org/en/publications/publikationer/2003-516 | archive-date=16 July 2012 }}</ref> Since hexane cannot be easily [[deprotonation|deprotonated]], it is used in the laboratory for reactions that involve very strong bases, such as the preparation of [[Organolithium reagent|organolithium]]s. For example, butyllithiums are typically supplied as a hexane solution.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Schwindeman|first1=James A.|last2=Woltermann|first2=Chris J.|last3=Letchford|first3=Robert J.|date=2002-05-01|title=Safe handling of organolithium compounds in the laboratory|url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1016/S1074-9098(02)00295-2|journal=Chemical Health & Safety|volume=9|issue=3|pages=6–11|doi=10.1016/s1074-9098(02)00295-2|issn=1074-9098|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

Hexanes are commonly used in [[chromatography]] as a non-polar solvent. Higher alkanes present as impurities in hexanes have similar retention times as the solvent, meaning that fractions containing hexane will also contain these impurities. In preparative chromatography, concentration of a large volume of hexanes can result in a sample that is appreciably contaminated by alkanes. This may result in a solid compound being obtained as an [[oil]] and the alkanes may interfere with analysis.

As an [[internal combustion engine]] fuel, n-hexane has low research and motor [[Octane rating|octane numbers]] of 25 and 26 respectively.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Al Ibrahim |first1=Emad |last2=Farooq |first2=Aamir |date=2020-01-16 |title=Octane Prediction from Infrared Spectroscopic Data |url=https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/handle/10754/660233 |journal=Energy & Fuels |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=817–826 |doi=10.1021/acs.energyfuels.9b02816 |issn=0887-0624|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In 1983 its share in Japanese gasoline varied around 6%,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ikeda |first1=Masayuki |last2=Kumai |first2=Miho |last3=Watanabe |first3=Takao |last4=Fujita |first4=Hiroyoshi |date=1984 |title=Aromatic and Other Contents in Automobile Gasoline in Japan |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/indhealth1963/22/4/22_4_235/_article/-char/ja/ |journal=Industrial Health |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=235–241 |doi=10.2486/indhealth.22.235|pmid=6526699 }}</ref> in 1992 it was present in American gas between 1 and 3%,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Doskey |first1=Paul V. |last2=Porter |first2=Joseph A. |last3=Scheff |first3=Peter A. |date=November 1992 |title=Source Fingerprints for Volatile Non-Methane Hydrocarbons |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10473289.1992.10467090 |journal=Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association |language=en |volume=42 |issue=11 |pages=1437–1445 |doi=10.1080/10473289.1992.10467090 |bibcode=1992JAWMA..42.1437D |issn=1047-3289}}</ref> and in Swedish automobile fuel in the same year the share was consistently under 2%, often below 1%.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Östermark |first1=Ulf |last2=Petersson |first2=Göran |date=1992-09-01 |title=Assessment of hydrocarbons in vapours of conventional and alkylate-based petrol |url=https://publications.lib.chalmers.se/records/fulltext/local_72590.pdf |journal=Chemosphere |volume=25 |issue=6 |pages=763–768 |doi=10.1016/0045-6535(92)90066-Z |bibcode=1992Chmsp..25..763O |issn=0045-6535}}</ref> By 2011 its share in US gas stood between 1 and 7%.<ref>{{cite web |date=2011 |title=Hydrocarbon Composition of Gasoline Vapor Emissions from Enclosed Fuel Tanks |url=https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=P100GPED.TXT |website=nepis.epa.gov |publisher=United States Environmental Protection Agency}}</ref>