All About What Is A Hydrocarbon

Any of a group of organic chemical compounds made up only of the atoms carbon (C) and hydrogen (H). The carbon atoms constitute the framework of the complex, and the hydrogen atoms adhere to it in various ways. Hydrocarbons make up the majority of petroleum and natural gas. Fuels and lubricants, as well as basic materials for plastics, fibres, rubbers, solvents, explosives, and industrial chemicals, are all made from them. 

Hydrocarbons are abundant in nature. They are found in trees and plants as well as fossil fuels, for example, in the form of carotenes, which are pigments found in carrots and green leaves. A hydrocarbon polymer, a chainlike molecule made up of numerous units linked together, makes up more than 98 percent of natural crude rubber. The sorts of chemical bonds that connect the atoms of the constituent molecules influence the structure and chemistry of individual hydrocarbons.

On the basis of their sources and qualities, nineteenth-century chemists classed hydrocarbons as either aliphatic or aromatic. Aliphatic hydrocarbons (from the Greek aleiphar, “fat”) are hydrocarbons generated from the chemical breakdown of fats or oils. Aromatic hydrocarbons were a set of related chemicals formed by the chemical breakdown of certain pleasant-smelling plant extracts. In modern language, the labels aliphatic and aromatic are still used, but the substances they describe are differentiated by structure rather than origin.

Types

Hydrocarbons are classified as follows under the IUPAC nomenclature of organic chemistry:

Saturated hydrocarbons are the most basic type of hydrocarbon. They are made up completely of single bonds and are hydrogen-rich. CnH2n+2 is the formula for acyclic saturated hydrocarbons (alkanes). CnH2n+2(1-r), where r is the number of rings, is the most general type of saturated hydrocarbons. Cycloalkanes are compounds having exactly one ring. Petroleum fuels are made up of saturated hydrocarbons, which can be found in either linear or branched forms. The property of substitution reaction is one of their distinguishing features (like chlorination reaction to form chloroform). Structural isomers are hydrocarbons with the same molecular formula but distinct structural formulas. Branched hydrocarbons can be chiral, as shown by the example of 3-methylhexane and its higher homologues. The side chains of biomolecules like chlorophyll and tocopherol are made up of chiral saturated hydrocarbons.

One or more double or triple bonds exist between carbon atoms in unsaturated hydrocarbons. Alkenes are compounds with a double bond. CnH2n is the formula for those with one double bond (assuming non-cyclic structures). Alkynes are compounds with three carbon atoms. CnH2n2 is the formula for those with one triple bond.

Arenes are hydrocarbons with at least one aromatic ring, also known as aromatic hydrocarbons. Aromatic hydrocarbons emitted by gasoline-powered cars account for 10% of total non methane organic carbon emissions.

Gases (e.g. methane and propane), liquids (for example, hexane and benzene), waxes, or substances with a low melting point (e.g. paraffin wax and naphthalene), and polymers are all examples of hydrocarbons (e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene).

Non-aromatic hydrocarbons are referred to as aliphatic hydrocarbons. Paraffins are saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons with a high molecular weight. Olefins are aliphatic hydrocarbons that include a double bond between carbon atoms.

Variations on hydrocarbons based on the number of carbon atoms

Hydrocarbons’ Characteristics

The melting and boiling points of hydrocarbon molecules are influenced by the size of the molecules. As a result, at room temperature, some hydrocarbons are gases, while others are liquids or solids. Hydrocarbons are nonpolar in nature, meaning that their molecules do not have oppositely charged sides. As a result, they do not dissolve in water, despite the fact that water is a polar substance. Hydrocarbons, in fact, tend to reject water. As a result, they’re found in floor wax and other comparable items.

Hydrocarbons Are Divided Into Several Categories

Saturated hydrocarbons and unsaturated hydrocarbons are the two forms of hydrocarbons. The amount of bonds between carbon atoms determines this classification.

Carbon atoms in saturated hydrocarbons only have single bonds between them, therefore they are connected to as many hydrogen atoms as possible. In other words, they are hydrogen atom-saturated.

Unsaturated hydrocarbons have at least one double or triple bond between carbon atoms, preventing the carbon atoms from forming as many hydrogen atom bonds as possible. To put it another way, they are hydrogen-unsaturated.

Hydrocarbons and Their Applications

The significance of hydrocarbons in modern life cannot be overstated. The “driving force of Western civilization” has been dubbed hydrocarbons. Fuel is the most common application for hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbon fuels include gasoline, natural gas, fuel oil, diesel, jet fuel, coal, kerosene, and propane, to name a few. Plastics and synthetic fabrics like polyester, for example, are made with hydrocarbons.

Conclusion

All major types of fossil fuels (including coal, oil, and natural gas) and biofuels contain hydrocarbons, which are significant energy storage molecules. They are also used as a feedstock in the manufacturing of a variety of polymers.