n-Hexane
The standard extraction solvent for vegetable oil processing — also widely used in rubber cement, adhesives and specialty printing.
Chelora Chemicals supplies food-grade and technical-grade n-hexane to oilseed processors and industrial customers worldwide, with full documentation.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 110-54-3
- IUPAC name
- Hexane
- Molecular formula
- C₆H₁₄
- Molecular weight
- 86.18 g/mol
- Boiling point
- 68.7 °C
- Melting point
- -95.3 °C
- UN Number
- UN 1208
- HS Code
- 2901 10
Note: Food-grade hexane for oilseed extraction is produced and handled to tighter purity and residue limits than technical grade. Confirm your target grade with our technical desk.
What n-Hexane is used for
n-Hexane is a colourless, highly volatile and extremely flammable liquid with a mild gasoline-like odour, recovered by fractional distillation of light naphtha and natural gas liquids (NGLs), and isolated to the required purity for food-grade or technical-grade use.
n-Hexane's single largest use is as the extraction solvent for vegetable and seed oils (soybean, canola, sunflower and other oilseed meals), valued for its selective solvency for oil and ease of recovery from the resulting meal by distillation. It is also widely used in rubber cement and adhesive formulations, as a cleaning solvent, and in certain specialty printing processes.
Where it sits in the petrochemical value chain
- Light Naphtha / NGLs the source stream n-hexane is fractionated from (not separately listed on this site).
- n-Hexane (this product) the extraction solvent and industrial solvent for the applications below.
- Edible Oils & Oilseed Meal the dominant downstream use, recovered and recycled within the extraction process.
Handling character
n-Hexane is highly flammable and a recognised neurotoxicant with chronic exposure, requiring strict ventilation and exposure controls. Full hazard detail is in the Safety section below.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Colourless liquid |
| Purity (food grade) | ≥ 95% n-hexane, < 50 ppm benzene |
| Purity (technical grade) | Grade dependent, confirmed at order |
| Aromatic content | Tightly controlled, especially for food-grade |
Important: the figures above are indicative of commercial material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Physical state | Colourless, highly volatile, flammable liquid |
| Boiling point | 68.7 °C |
| Melting point | -95.3 °C |
| Density | 0.655 g/cm³ |
| Water solubility | Very low (~0.0095 g/L) |
| Flash point | -22 °C (extremely flammable) |
Physical constants compiled from public reference data for CAS 110-54-3 and rounded for readability. Treat them as orientation, not as a specification.
Where our customers put n-Hexane to work
The extraction solvent behind edible oils, with rubber, adhesive and cleaning uses alongside.
Edible-oil extraction
The standard solvent for extracting oil from soybean, canola, sunflower and other oilseed meals.
- Food-grade specification
- Bulk & drum supply
- Technical desk review on request
Rubber cement & adhesives
Used as a solvent in rubber cement and adhesive formulations for its fast evaporation.
- Technical-grade specification
- Documented batch traceability
- Contract & spot supply
Printing & cleaning solvent
Used in certain specialty printing processes and as an industrial cleaning solvent.
- Full analytical documentation available
- Retained sample held against the lot
Laboratory & analytical use
Used as a non-polar solvent for extraction and analytical chemistry applications.
- Research & process-scale quantities
- Full documentation supplied
Polymer processing aid
Used in some polyolefin catalyst and process applications as a non-reactive diluent.
- Documented batch traceability
- Technical desk review on request
Contract & scheduled supply
Oilseed-processing plants running continuous consumption are supported with scheduled bulk delivery.
- Annual contracts with scheduled call-off
- Price held across the contract period
- Second source held in reserve
How we supply n-Hexane
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. Food-grade purity (especially trace benzene content) is critical for edible-oil extraction compliance — that shapes how we manage this line.
We place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your required grade, your price point and your delivery window, and confirm your jurisdiction's import and food-safety compliance requirements before booking.
We keep a second qualified source on this line, so a single-plant disruption never becomes your production problem.
- Food-grade and technical-grade purity confirmed before we quote. Trace benzene and aromatic content are critical to edible-oil extraction compliance.
- UN 1208 documentation managed end to end. Classification, labelling and carrier compliance confirmed before booking.
- Scheduled call-off scheduling. We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your consumption calendar.
- Batch traceability to the producing plant. Full chain of custody documentation on request.
- Export machinery handled in-house. Classification, approved packing, labelling, freight booking and customs paperwork are ours to manage.
- Food-grade and technical grades both sourced. Matched precisely to your end-use specification.
Packed the way your plant receives it
Drum, tote or bulk tank — tell us your preferred format and we will quote and classify to it.
200-210 litre drums
Steel drums for smaller-volume orders and trial quantities.
~1,000 litre totes
Returnable or one-way IBC totes sized for mid-volume converter orders.
Large-volume bulk shipment
ISO tank or flexi-tank bulk shipment for continuous-consumption oilseed-processing plants.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to, with documentation filed before booking.
Trial / sample quantities
Small packs dispatched for process trials before a commercial order is placed.
Contracted call-off supply
We hold contracted tonnage and release it against your consumption calendar.
Extremely flammable & neurotoxic risk — handle accordingly
n-Hexane is extremely flammable, irritating to skin and respiratory tract, and a recognised neurotoxicant with repeated or prolonged exposure. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your specific batch is the authoritative document.
Classified hazards
H225Highly flammable liquid and vapour.H315+H336Causes skin irritation; may cause drowsiness or dizziness.H361f+H373Suspected of damaging fertility; causes damage to organs (nervous system) through prolonged or repeated exposure.
Strict ventilation and exposure monitoring required. Chronic hexane exposure is linked to peripheral neuropathy; follow occupational exposure limits closely and always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Storage
Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area, away from heat, sunlight and oxidising agents.
Handling
Use solvent-resistant gloves, eye protection and robust ventilation (local exhaust in enclosed extraction areas). Monitor occupational exposure limits closely given hexane's chronic neurotoxic potential; avoid repeated skin contact.
Transport
Shipped as UN 1208 (Hexanes), a highly flammable liquid. We confirm and document exact classification for your specific shipment and destination.
Every batch, documented
We verify documentation before dispatch so there are no surprises at your incoming-goods bench.
Specification agreed
Purity, aromatic/benzene content and grade (food/technical) confirmed against your process requirement before order placement.
Producer batch testing
The producing plant tests each batch against the agreed specification before release.
Documentation review
COA, SDS and transport/food-safety paperwork checked by our desk before the shipment is booked.
Traceable dispatch
Each shipment is traceable to its producing batch, with full chain-of-custody records on request.
How n-Hexane is made
n-Hexane is recovered industrially by the fractional distillation of light naphtha or natural gas liquids (NGLs), isolating the C6 paraffin cut, then further refined (including trace benzene and aromatic removal) to the purity required for food-grade or technical-grade applications.
We do not publish operating process parameters here; this is background only. Full technical documentation accompanies every shipment, and any process-specific detail you need is best confirmed directly with our technical desk.
| Chemical family | Aliphatic hydrocarbon (straight-chain alkane) |
|---|---|
| Functional groups | None (saturated paraffin) |
| Reactivity | Chemically inert; functions as a non-polar extraction and cleaning solvent |
| Related compounds | Light Naphtha / NGLs (source stream) |
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n-Hexane, answered
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