Xylenes
Xylenes are any one of three isomers of dimethylbenzene, or a combination thereof. All are colorless, flammable liquids composed of a central benzene ring with two methyl groups attached at substituents. They can be applied as precursor chemicals and solvents.
Xylenes are flammable petrochemical products that can be produced via catalytic reforming and coal carbonization during coke production and found in crude oil, gasoline, and aircraft fuel. Xylenes were first isolated from wood tar and named by the French chemist Auguste Cahours.
What Is Xylene?
Xylene, more appropriately called xylenes, refers to any single or combination of the three isomers of dimethylbenzene. The isomeric forms are designated as ortho- (o-), meta- (m-), and para- (p-), a reference to the carbon in the benzene ring to which the two methyl groups are attached.
- o-isomer: 1,2-dimethylbenzene
- m-isomer: 1,3-dimethylbenzene
- p-isomer: 1,4-dimethylbenzene
Xylenes are colorless and can be detected by odor at concentrations as low as 0.08 to 3.7 ppm in air and tasted in water at 0.53 to 1.8 ppm.
Refer to the Certificate of Analysis or the Safety Data Sheet for specific information about xylene density and safety hazards.
What Is Xylene Used For?
Industrial Uses
p-Xylene is a precursor to terephthalic acid and dimethyl terephthalate, used to make polyethylene terephthalate plastic bottles and polyester clothing.
Xylene can be used as a solvent and is a common component of ink, rubber, adhesives, and paint and varnish thinners. Xylenes may be used to clean steel, silicon wafers, and integrated circuits. Medical applications include use as a solvent of dental materials and ear wax.
Laboratory Uses
Xylene can be used with dry ice in baths, to remove oil from microscope objectives, and as a cleaning agent or mounting material in histology procedures.
Electron Microscopy Sciences Histosol™ Histosol with Xylene Substitute 4 GL
Histosol is the original high flash point (114 degree F TCC) histological clearing agent. It is intended to be used as a replacement for xylene where the hazards associated with aromatic hydrocarbon vapors are to be reduced. Museum-quality tissue slides can be prepared with Hitosol without change in protocol or procedure. Histosol is manufactured from petrochemical products and is miscible in all proportions with ethanol, isopropanol, and t-butanol. It is also miscible with all paraffin-based tissue embedding media and all permanent mounting materials.
Electron Microscopy Sciences Xylenes, Reagent A.C.S. 450 ML
(Xylol, Dimethylbenzene)
C₆H₄(CH₃)₂ F.W. 106.27
This reagent is a mixture of isomers (ortho, meta, and para) and may contain Ethylbenzene.
Research Products International Corp Xylene, Reagent Grade, 4 Liters
Colorless liquid
Flammable
Flash Point: 29°C
Boiling Point: 137-140°C
WARNING! This product can expose you to Ethyl benzene, a chemical which is known to the State of California to cause Cancer. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Polysciences, Inc. Xylene, histology grade, 1 gal
Routine clearing agent. Also used with Canada balsam in oil-immersion microscopy.
Sigma Aldrich Fine Chemicals Biosciences Xylenes histological grade | 1330-20-7 | MFCD00077264 | 4L
Xylenes histological grade | Purity: >=75.0% (xylenes isomers) | Mol Wt: 106.17 | 1330-20-7 | MFCD00077264 | 4L
Sigma Aldrich Fine Chemicals Biosciences p-Xylene anhydrous 99
p-Xylene is an isomer xylene mainly used in the polyester industry as a raw material for synthesizing 5 6-terephthalic acid.
GA International XyliFIL™ – Xylene & Chemical-Resistant Labels for Histology0.9″ x 0.75″ / 23mm x 19.1mm
XyliFIL™ labels are specially designed for histology (microscope slides) applications that require resistance to various chemicals and conditions associated with common histology preparation, such as xylene, ethanol series, xylene substitutes, histology stains, and high temperature (70°C) treatments.Its permanent adhesive ensures the labels remain affixed, even in the harshest environments. Their uniform material design avoids delamination issues and won’t absorb histology stains that can obscure printout and barcodes.Intended for use on flat surfaces, these solvent-resistant labels, along with their printout, can withstand immersion in xylene for up to 5 hours on a microscope slide (thorough testing in end-user application conditions is highly recommended). Resistant as well to long-term exposure and immersion in safer clearing and deparaffinizing xylene substitutes such as EZ Prep, Clearify™, Histo-Clear™, Formula 83™, Pro-Par, and others.
Sigma Aldrich Fine Chemicals Biosciences p Xylene ReagentPlusR 99
p-Xylene is an isomeric form of xylene. It undergoes friedel-Crafts acylation reaction with various acids in the presence of zeolites (catalyst). It can be obtained from the mixtures of isomeric forms of xylene and ethylbenzene isolated from the naptha fraction of petroleum. Also it can be prepared from toluene by employing ZSM (Zeolite Socony Mobil)-5 catalysts. It is a raw material for the manufacture of PET (poly(ethylene terephthalate)) bottles. Its sustainable synthesis from ethylene and dimethylfuran in the presence of zeolite catalysts has been reported.
Sigma Aldrich Fine Chemicals Biosciences Xylenes ACS reagent, >=98.5% xylenes + ethylbenzene basis | 1330-20-7 | MFCD00077264 | 500ML
Xylenes ACS reagent, >=98.5% xylenes + ethylbenzene basis | Purity: >=98.5% xylenes + ethylbenzene basis | Mol Wt: 106.17 | 1330-20-7 | MFCD00077264 | 500ML
m-Xylene (Synthesis Grade), Thermo Scientific™
CAS: 108-38-3 Molecular Formula: C8H10 Molecular Weight (g/mol): 106.17 MDL Number: MFCD00008536 InChI Key: IVSZLXZYQVIEFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Synonym: m-xylene,1,3-dimethylbenzene,m-xylol,m-dimethylbenzene,meta-xylene,m-methyltoluene,3-xylene,benzene, 1,3-dimethyl,1,3-dimethylbenzol,santosol 150 PubChem CID: 7929 ChEBI: CHEBI:28488 IUPAC Name: 1,3-xylene SMILES: CC1=CC(C)=CC=C1
p-Xylene (Certified), Fisher Chemical™
CAS: 106-42-3 Molecular Formula: C8H10 Molecular Weight (g/mol): 106.17 MDL Number: MFCD00008556 InChI Key: URLKBWYHVLBVBO-UHFFFAOYSA-N Synonym: p-xylene,para-xylene,1,4-dimethylbenzene,p-methyltoluene,p-dimethylbenzene,p-xylol,benzene, 1,4-dimethyl,4-xylene,chromar,4-methyltoluene PubChem CID: 7809 ChEBI: CHEBI:27417 IUPAC Name: 1,4-xylene SMILES: CC1=CC=C(C)C=C1
2,3-Dimethylanisole, 97%, Thermo Scientific™
CAS: 2944-49-2 Molecular Formula: C9H12O Molecular Weight (g/mol): 136.194 MDL Number: MFCD00008376 InChI Key: BLMBNEVGYRXFNA-UHFFFAOYSA-N Synonym: 2,3-dimethylanisole,3-methoxy-o-xylene,benzene, 1-methoxy-2,3-dimethyl,benzene, methoxydimethyl,1,2-dimethyl-6-methoxybenzene,1-methoxy-2,3-dimethyl-benzene,dimethylanisole,pubchem4114,2,3-dimethyl anisole,2,3-dimethyl-anisole PubChem CID: 76269 IUPAC Name: 1-methoxy-2,3-dimethylbenzene SMILES: CC1=C(C(=CC=C1)OC)C
p-Xylene, 98.0%, MilliporeSigma™
CAS: 106-42-3 Molecular Weight (g/mol): 106.17