3 Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Examples: Facts You Should Know!

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Aliphatic hydrocarbons are compounds in which hydrogen and carbon atoms join in a linear non-aromatic ring structure. We shall discuss various examples of such hydrocarbons.

  • Ethane
  • Ethyne
  • Butane
  • Butyne
  • Propane
  • Propene
  • Hexane
  • Neopentane
  • Cyclobutane
  • Methyl Propane
  • Heptanes
  • Cyclohexane
  • Acetylene
  • Propyne
  • Terpene
  • Limonene
  • Polyethylene

Aliphatic hydrocarbon can be saturated and unsaturated depending upon the types of bonding and the number of bonds shared by the carbon atom. These are used as fuels, insecticides, oil, cosmetics, and various other purposes. We shall discuss various types of aliphatic hydrocarbons and their properties.

Types of Aliphatic Hydrocarbons

The aliphatic hydrocarbons are classified based on the number of bonds between the carbon atoms. Let us discuss all types of aliphatic hydrocarbon groups.

Saturated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons – Saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons are alkanes, having carbon atoms sharing a single bond with each, bonded with four atoms.

Unsaturated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons – The unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons are alkene and alkynes having at least one double or triple C-C bonds, respectively.

Unsaturated Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Example

Unsaturated hydrocarbons are those having two or more C-C bonds and are from alkene and alkyne groups. We shall list some examples of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons.

  • Naphthalene – It is a majorly used insecticide having a cyclic structure.
  • Pentene – It has single double-bonded C atoms used in polystyrene foam.
  • Pentyne – It is a blowing agent having a single triple C-C bond.
  • Methene – It is an unsaturated hydrocarbon used as fuel.
  • Ethene – It is used to make polymers used for raincoats.

Saturated Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Example

Saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons are a branch or train of molecules containing only the single C-C bonds. Let us list some examples of saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons here below.

  • Methylcyclopropane – It is a colorless organic gas.
  • Paraffin wax – It has single C-C bonds derived from coal and oil shale.
  • Butane – It has a single chain of carbon bonds used in lighters.
  • Pentane – It is a natural gas with five C-C single bonds.
  • Neohexane – It is a 2,2 dimethyl butane used as a chemical in agriculture.
paraffin
Image Credit: Paraffin wax by Jean Pierre (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

Properties of Aliphatic Hydrocarbons

There are various properties of aliphatic hydrocarbons that differ from aromatic hydrocarbons. Let us list some of the properties of aliphatic hydrocarbon here below.

  • Aliphatic hydrocarbons are flammable, hydrophobic, and lipophilic.
  • Aliphatic hydrocarbon’s structure is cyclic or acyclic, and C-H bonds are weakly polar.
  • The aliphatic hydrocarbons are insoluble in water and polar solvents and dissolve in non-polar solvents.
  • The density of aliphatic hydrocarbons is less than water.

Conclusion

We can conclude from this article that aliphatic hydrocarbons are categorized as a saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon that comes under the alkane, alkene, and alkyne groups. The alkanes group of hydrocarbons is saturated while alkenes and alkynes hydrocarbons are unsaturated.

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