3-METHYLPENTANE Property

Melting point:

-118 °C

Boiling point:

64 °C(lit.)

Density 

0.664 g/mL at 25 °C(lit.)

vapor density 

2.97 (vs air)

vapor pressure 

135 mm Hg ( 17 °C)

refractive index 

n20/D 1.376(lit.)

Flash point:

20 °F

storage temp. 

Flammables area

solubility 

In methanol, g/L: 389 at 5 °C, 450 at 10 °C, 530 at 15 °C, 650 at 20 °C, 910 at 25 °C. Miscible at higher temperatures (Kiser et al., 1961).

form 

Liquid

color 

Clear colorless

Odor Threshold

8.9ppm

explosive limit

~7.7%

Water Solubility 

Soluble in water. 0.013 g/L at 20°C). Miscible in ether, acetone. Soluble in ethanol.

BRN 

1730734

Henry's Law Constant

1.693 atm?m³/mol at 25 °C (Hine and Mookerjee, 1975)

Exposure limits

ACGIH TLV: TWA and STEL for all isomers except n-hexane are 500 and 1,000 ppm, respectively (adopted).

Dielectric constant

1.8899999999999999

Stability:

Stable. Highly flammable. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents.

LogP

3.6 at 20℃ and pH7

CAS DataBase Reference

96-14-0(CAS DataBase Reference)

EPA Substance Registry System

3-Methylpentane (96-14-0)

Safety

Hazard Codes 

F,Xn,N

Risk Statements 

11-36-51/53-65-67-38

Safety Statements 

16-23-33-61-62-29-9

OEB

A

OEL

TWA: 100.0 ppm; 350.0 mg/m3, STEL: 510.0 ppm; 1800.0 mg/m3

RIDADR 

UN 1208 3/PG 2

WGK Germany 

2

RTECS 

SA2995500

Autoignition Temperature

532 °F

TSCA 

Yes

HazardClass 

3

PackingGroup 

II

HS Code 

29011000

Hazardous Substances Data

96-14-0(Hazardous Substances Data)

Hazard and Precautionary Statements (GHS)

Symbol(GHS)

Signal word

Danger

Hazard statements

H225Highly Flammable liquid and vapour

H304May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways

H315Causes skin irritation

H319Causes serious eye irritation

H336May cause drowsiness or dizziness

H411Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects

Precautionary statements

P210Keep away from heat/sparks/open flames/hot surfaces. — No smoking.

P273Avoid release to the environment.

P301+P310IF SWALLOWED: Immediately call a POISON CENTER or doctor/physician.

P303+P361+P353IF ON SKIN (or hair): Remove/Take off Immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse SKIN with water/shower.

P305+P351+P338IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continuerinsing.

P331Do NOT induce vomiting.

3-METHYLPENTANE Chemical Properties,Usage,Production

Chemical Properties

colourless liquid

Chemical Properties

3-Methylpentane, C6H14, is a colorless, flammable liquid with specific gravity 0.664. It occurs in petroleum and natural gas, and may be released to the environment in evaporative losses, wastewater, spills, and combustion exhaust.

Physical properties

Clear, colorless, flammable liquid with an odor similar to hexane, heptane, and similar aliphatic hydrocarbons. An odor threshold concentration of 8.9 ppm_v was reported by Nagata and Takeuchi (1990).

Uses

3-Methylpentane is a component of three typical commercial hexanes, obtained from the fractionation of natural gas liquids, a refinery operation involving hydrogenation, and a stream meeting polymerization. Other than for fuel, it is used in extraction of oil from seeds and as a solvent and reaction medium in the manufacture of polyolefins, synthetic rubbers, and some pharmaceuticals.

Uses

3-Methylpentane is used as a solvent in the preparation of vegetable oils, glues, coatings, and paints. It is also used in gasoline, rubber solvent, and petroleum ether.

Uses

Organic synthesis, solvent.

Definition

ChEBI: 3-methylpentane is an alkane that is pentane which is substituted by a methyl group at position 3. It is used as a solvent in organic synthesis, as a lubricant and as a raw material for producing carbon black. It has a role as a human metabolite, an allelochemical and a non-polar solvent. It is an alkane and a volatile organic compound.

Hazard

Flammable, dangerous fire risk.

Safety Profile

May have narcotic or anesthetic properties. A very dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat or flame; can react vigorously with oxidizing materials. Explosive in the form of vapor when exposed to heat or flame. To fight fire, use foam, CO2, dry chemical. When heated to decomposition it emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes.

Source

Schauer et al. (1999) reported 3-methylpentane in a diesel-powered medium-duty truck exhaust at an emission rate of 670 μg/km.
California Phase II reformulated gasoline contained 3-methylpentane at a concentration of 22.7 g/kg. Gas-phase tailpipe emission rates from gasoline-powered automobiles with and without catalytic converters were 3.76 and 512 mg/km, respectively (Schauer et al., 2002).

Environmental Fate

Photolytic. The following rate constants were reported for the reaction of 3-methylpentane and OH radicals in the atmosphere: 4.30 x 10^-9 cm³/molecule?sec at 300 K (Darnall et al., 1976); 6.8 x 10^-12 cm³/molecule?sec at 305 K (Darnall et al., 1978); 5.7 x 10^-12 cm³/molecule?sec (Altshuller, 1991).
Chemical/Physical. Complete combustion in air produces carbon dioxide and water vapor. 3- Methylpentane will not hydrolyze because it does not contain a hydrolyzable functional group.

Purification Methods

Purify it by azeotropic distillation with MeOH, as for 2-methylpentane. Purify it for ultraviolet spectroscopy by passing it through columns of silica gel or alumina activated by heating for 8hours at 210o under a stream of nitrogen. Alternatively treat it with conc (or fuming) H2SO4, then wash it with water, aqueous 5% NaOH, water again, then dry (CaCl2, then sodium), and distil it through a long, glass helices-packed, column. [Beilstein 1 IV 363.]