HydrocarbonsHydrocarbon 2
R6 C1
  A hydrocarbon is one of the most simple and primitive of organic compounds.  All living organisms produce hydrocarbons, one such example is plants, they synthesize waxes containing hydrocarbons in order to prevent leaf surface decay. This is what makes their leaves shiny. Almost all useable supplies of hydrocarbons are obtained from fossil fuels - coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

 Did you know that there are approximately 300,000 different natural hydrocarbon compounds, that mostly from oil reservoirs or coal deposits? Hydrocarbons contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms. These atoms link together to form straight, branched chains, or ring structures commonly called PAHs (poly aromatic hydrocarbons).

Examples of common hydrocarbons are: gasoline, diesel fuels, lighter fluid, propane, home heating oil, marine and motor oil, fuels, cleaning solvents, hydraulic fluids, crude oil and lubricating oils.
Chart showing carbon compounds. Chart showing derivatives of hydrocarbons.
Hydrocarbon Chains

Product

Carbon Chain

Molecular Formula
Boiling
 Point
Melting
 Point

State

Uses

Methane

 C1 CH4

-161

 -182.5 Gas

Fuel, carbon black, gasoline
Ethane C2 C2H6 -88 -183.3 Gas Chemistry
Propane C3 C3H8 -46 -189.7 Gas Cigarette lighter fuel and barbecues.
Butane C4 C4H10 -1 -138.40 Gas

Cigarette lighters fuel and barbecues.
Pentane C5 C5H12 36.1 -129.7 Liquid Solvents, dry cleaning, refrigerant
Hexane C6 C6H14 68.7 -95.3 Liquid Motor fuel
Heptane C7 C7H16 98.4 -90.6 Liquid Solvents
Octane C8 C8H118 125.7 -56.8 Liquid Solvents
Nonane C9 C9H20 150.8 -53.5 Liquid Solvents
Decane C10 C10H22 174.1 -29.7 Liquid Solvents

Kerosene

C12 - C16

  

200 - 315

   Liquid

Diesel, heating oil, lighting/oil stove fuels.

Fuel Oil

C15 - C18

Up to 375

 Liquid

Furnace oils, diesels

Lubricating Oils

C16 - C20

350 up

 Liquid

Lubrication

Grease, Vaseline

C20 & up

Semisolid

Lubrication, sizing paper

Paraffin - Wax

C26 & up

  

 

   Solid

Candles, match sticks, household canning

Pitch and Tar

C26 & up

Residue

Roofing, paving, rubber

Petroleum Coke

C26 & up

Residue

Fuel, carbon electrode

The carbon atoms of different hydrocarbons are organized into two general groups:
Aliphatic - a straight or branched chain.
              Straight chain (pentane) C5H12  Straight Chain
              Branched chain (isopentane) C5H10  Branched Chain
Aromatic - contains 1 or more benzene rings. Their name comes from the fact that many have strong, pungent aromas. A PAH is a group of benzene rings which have branched chains of carbon.
Aromatic (benzene) Aromatic

Click here to see the conversion process from hydrocarbon to fatty acid to by-products.