The world is dependent on crude oil for many of its functions, and one of crude oil’s derivatives is heptane. Industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem ensures it stocks heptane because of its myriad uses across industries. Learn how your business can benefit from heptane by reading below. 

Petroleum industries

Heptane is a volatile, colorless, straight-chain hydrocarbon distilled from petroleum. It is basically water-insoluble. Combine that with its high volatility, and it is easier to understand the octane rating scale. Heptane naturally combusts in gasoline, and low-octane gasoline contains excess heptane, which causes engines to “knock.” 

This combustibility, which is undesirable in automotive engines, proves ideal for other fuel-consuming machines, such as liquid fuel stoves used in camping or other outdoor activities. These stoves require rapid and ongoing heat and heptane’s constant combustion is ideal.

Heptane isomers

Breaking down heptane adds further dimensions for its uses, including in aviation fuel, naphtha, paint coatings and thinners, and in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Forensics

The ability to lift fingerprints from hard surfaces has benefited law enforcement for decades. Heptane acts as a solvent in the development of latent prints — invisible to the naked eye, but evident with physical or chemical manipulation — as it ensures the print’s clarity without denaturing oil-based ink.

Food industry

Vegetable oil is not easily released from its host. Heptane isomers are responsible for chemically extracting the oil by separating the solid proteins from the oil in canola, cottonseed, peanuts, soybeans, and sunflower seeds.

Printing

Printer inks use heptane as a solvent since it suspends dyes to deliver consistent colors copy after copy. Even more, the pages are slick and colorfast.

Rubber industry

Ever wonder why tires are “vulcanized”? In the past, tires would melt when subjected to hot summer roads. Vulcanization prevents tires from breaking down in extreme temperatures, and heptane is a main component as a compounder in this process. 

Rubber cement also requires heptane to work properly. The ability to physically spread rubber onto a surface is possible when heptane evenly distributes tiny particles of rubber throughout its solvent base.

Bell Chem is your industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including nutritious ingredients for your functional sweets. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.