Heptanes
142-82-5 · 2ygu · CAS-142-82-5 · Dipropyl methane · Dipropylmethane · Eptani · Exxsol heptane (Salt/Mix) · Gettysolve-C · Heptan · heptan-e · HEPTANE · Heptane, 99.5% · Heptane, >=99% (capillary GC) · Heptane, analytical standard · Heptane, anhydrous, 99% · Heptane, AR, >=99% · Heptane, ASTM, 99.8% · Heptane, biotech. grade, >=99% · Heptane, for HPLC · Heptane, for HPLC, >=96% · Heptane, for HPLC, >=99% · Heptane, for HPLC, >=99.5% · Heptane, HPLC grade, >=99% · Heptane, Laboratory Reagent · Heptane, LR, >=99% · Heptane, p.a., 88.0-92.0% · Heptane, p.a., 95% · Heptane, p.a., 95.0% · Heptane, purification grade, 99% · Heptane, puriss. p.a., >=99.5% (GC) · Heptane, puriss., >=99% (GC) · Heptane, ReagentPlus(R), 99% · Heptane, SAJ first grade, >=98.0% · Heptane, SAJ special grade, >=99.0% · Heptane, spectrophotometric grade, 99% · Heptane, technical grade · Heptane, UV HPLC spectroscopic, 95% · Heptane, UV HPLC spectroscopic, 99.5% · Heptane; Dipropylmethane; Heptyl hydride; NSC 62784; Skellysolve C; n-Heptane · Heptanen · Heptanes · Heptanes (30-40 % n-heptane) · Heptyl hydride · high purity heptane · HPLC Grade n-Heptane · HSDB 90 · industry grade heptane · n-Heptane · n-Heptane 100 microg/mL in Acetonitrile · n-Heptane HPLC grade · n-Heptane, 99% · n-Heptane, anhydrous · n-Heptane, Environmental Grade · normal heptane · normal-Heptane · Pentane, ethyl- · pharma grade heptane · pharmaceutical grade heptane · Skellysolve C · WLN: 7H
Heptanes is not a single compound but the petroleum fraction of seven-carbon hydrocarbons, used as an extraction solvent. The proportions of n-heptane, methylcyclohexane and the other isomers vary from lot to lot, which is why JECFA specifies the fraction rather than the compound.
Where it is and isn’t permitted
| Jurisdiction | Status | Scope and limits | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia and New Zealand | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Canada | No listing matchedHealth Canada’s lists name additives without E or INS numbers, so this site matches them by exact name. A substance listed there under a name this site does not recognise has no row here. | ||
| European Union | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Great Britain | No listed food uses foundThis site has not matched this substance to any food use on this jurisdiction’s list of authorised food additives. A food additive may be used only in foods that list names. Flavourings, enzymes, processing aids and added nutrients are regulated separately and do not appear on it. | ||
| Japan | No listing matchedThis site imports only Japan’s list of designated additives (Appended Table 1 to the Regulations for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act), matched by English name. Existing additives, natural flavouring agents and ordinary foods used as additives are permitted outside that list and are not imported, so an empty row does not show that Japan does not permit the substance. | ||
| South Korea | No listing matchedThis site imports Part III of South Korea’s Standards and Specifications for Food Additives, matched by CAS number, then INS number, then exact name. Mixed preparations and sanitisers are not imported, and an entry whose identifiers disagreed with a page’s is held for review, so an empty row does not show that South Korea does not permit the substance. | ||
| United States | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. | ||
| Codex Alimentarius | Not listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited. |
What it is made from
Separated by distillation from petroleum.
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
Compare other additives on the dietary indexes.
- InChIKey
- IMNFDUFMRHMDMM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
- PubChem
- CID 8900
How JECFA defines it
The international specification for identity and purity, prepared by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and published by FAO. It is a different document from any above, written by a different body and revised on its own cycle; it is advisory, and a country adopts it or does not.
Heptanes
These specifications refer to the heptane petroleum hydrocarbon fraction which contains isomers of the empirical formula C 7 H 16 . The relative proportion of isomers varies with the production lot. The most prevalent components are: n-heptane, dimethylcyclopentanes, 3-ethylpentane, methyl- cyclohexane and 3-methylhexane.
Assay, identification and purity criteria
Description and assay
- Specification history
- Prepared at the 30th JECFA (1986), published in FNP 37 (1986) and in FNP 52 (1992). Metals and arsenic specifications revised at the 63rd JECFA (2004). An ADI limited by GMP was established at 14th JECFA (1970)
- C.A.S. number
- 142-82-5 (n-heptane)
- Chemical formula
- C 7 H 16
- Formula weight
- 100.2 (n-heptane)
- DESCRIPTION
- Clear colourless mobile highly flammable liquid with a petroleum odour
- FUNCTIONAL USES
- Extraction solvent
Identification
- Solubility (Vol. 4)
- Insoluble in water
- Specific gravity (Vol. 4)
- 0.700 - 0.720
Purity criteria
- Distillation range (Vol. 4)
- 95% v/v distils between 94 and 99 o
- Non-volatile residue (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 0.5 mg/100 ml
- Sulfur (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 5 mg/kg
- Benzene (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 0.05% Determine benzene content by the Aromatic Hydrocarbons Determination
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
- Passes test See description under TESTS
- Lead (Vol. 4)
- Not more than 2 mg/kg Determine using an atomic absorption technique appropriate to the specified level. The selection of sample size and method of sample preparation may be based on the principles of the method described in Volume 4, “Instrumental Methods.” .
- Test: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
- Transfer 25.0 ml of sample to a 125 ml separator and add 25 of hexane. Mix and add 5.0 ml of dimethyl sulfoxide. Shake vigorously for 1 min. and allow to stand until two clear layers are formed. Transfer the lower layer to a second separating funnel, add 2 ml of hexane and shake the mixture vigorously. Allow to stand until two clear layers are formed. Separate the lower layer and measure its absorbance over the range 260 nm to 420 nm using as compensation liquid the clear lower layer obtained by vigorously shaking 5.0 ml of dimethyl sulfoxide with 25 ml of hexane for 1 min. Prepare a reference solution in trimethylpentane containing 7.0 mg of naphthalene per liter and measure the absorbance of that solution at the maximum at 275 nm using trimethylpentane as compensation liquid. At no wavelength in the range 260 nm to 420 nm does the absorbance of the test solution exceed one-third that of the reference solution at 275 nm. Use hexane, dimethyl sulfoxide and trimethylpentane of suitable quality, such as that specified for ultraviolet spectrophotometry.
Every name it appears under
60 recorded names. A label may use any of them.
CAS registry number
- 142-82-5
Other names
- 2ygu
- CAS-142-82-5
- Dipropyl methane
- Dipropylmethane
- Eptani
- Exxsol heptane (Salt/Mix)
- Gettysolve-C
- Heptan
- heptan-e
- HEPTANE
- Heptane, 99.5%
- Heptane, >=99% (capillary GC)
- Heptane, analytical standard
- Heptane, anhydrous, 99%
- Heptane, AR, >=99%
- Heptane, ASTM, 99.8%
- Heptane, biotech. grade, >=99%
- Heptane, for HPLC
- Heptane, for HPLC, >=96%
- Heptane, for HPLC, >=99%
- Heptane, for HPLC, >=99.5%
- Heptane, HPLC grade, >=99%
- Heptane, Laboratory Reagent
- Heptane, LR, >=99%
- Heptane, p.a., 88.0-92.0%
- Heptane, p.a., 95%
- Heptane, p.a., 95.0%
- Heptane, purification grade, 99%
- Heptane, puriss. p.a., >=99.5% (GC)
- Heptane, puriss., >=99% (GC)
- Heptane, ReagentPlus(R), 99%
- Heptane, SAJ first grade, >=98.0%
- Heptane, SAJ special grade, >=99.0%
- Heptane, spectrophotometric grade, 99%
- Heptane, technical grade
- Heptane, UV HPLC spectroscopic, 95%
- Heptane, UV HPLC spectroscopic, 99.5%
- Heptane; Dipropylmethane; Heptyl hydride; NSC 62784; Skellysolve C; n-Heptane
- Heptanen
- Heptanes
- Heptanes (30-40 % n-heptane)
- Heptyl hydride
- high purity heptane
- HPLC Grade n-Heptane
- HSDB 90
- industry grade heptane
- n-Heptane
- n-Heptane 100 microg/mL in Acetonitrile
- n-Heptane HPLC grade
- n-Heptane, 99%
- n-Heptane, anhydrous
- n-Heptane, Environmental Grade
- normal heptane
- normal-Heptane
- Pentane, ethyl-
- pharma grade heptane
- pharmaceutical grade heptane
- Skellysolve C
- WLN: 7H
Hazard reference values
No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.
Evidence and how bodies read it
Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.
Common questions
Assembled from what is above, in the words the questions are usually asked in. Each answer is the same statement the relevant section makes, with the same citations behind it.
- What is Heptanes?
- Heptanes is not a single compound but the petroleum fraction of seven-carbon hydrocarbons, used as an extraction solvent. The proportions of n-heptane, methylcyclohexane and the other isomers vary from lot to lot, which is why JECFA specifies the fraction rather than the compound.
- Is Heptanes vegan?
- Yes. Heptanes is not derived from animals, and is suitable for vegetarians. This page says what it is made from and how.
Sources for this page
- jecfaspecs retrieved 2026-09-23
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