General Description
Colorless liquid. Must be preheated before ignition can occur.
Reactivity Profile
Saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as N-TETRADECANE(629-59-4), may be incompatible with strong oxidizing agents like nitric acid. Charring of the hydrocarbon may occur followed by ignition of unreacted hydrocarbon and other nearby combustibles. In other settings, aliphatic saturated hydrocarbons are mostly unreactive. They are not affected by aqueous solutions of acids, alkalis, most oxidizing agents, and most reducing agents. When heated sufficiently or when ignited in the presence of air, oxygen or strong oxidizing agents, they burn exothermically to produce carbon dioxide and water.
Air & Water Reactions
Insoluble in water.
Health Hazard
ACUTE/CHRONIC HAZARDS: Explosion hazard: Moderate, in the form of vapor when exposed.
Chemical Properties
colourless liquid
Chemical Properties
Tetradecane, C14H30, is a colorless liquid with moderate
explosive potential and specific gravity 0.763.
It occurs naturally in crude oil and in chickpea seeds,
nectarines, and kiwi-fruit flowers. It may be released
to the environment during its production and use, in the
exhaust of motor vehicles, and in the effluent of landfills and
industrial processes.
Definition
ChEBI: Tetradecane is a straight chain alkane consisting of 14 carbon atoms. It has a role as a plant metabolite and a volatile oil component.
Production Methods
Tetradecane is isolated from kerosene and gas oil fractions
of crude oil by selective adsorption followed by fractional
distillation.
Hazard
A fire hazard. Lower flammable limit in air
0.5%.
Carcinogenicity
Tetradecane is a cocarcinogen
and tumor promoter in two-stage experiments of
benzo[a]pyrene carcinogenicity in mice.
Purification Methods
Wash it successively with 4M H2SO4 and water. Dry it over MgSO4 and distil it several times under reduced pressure [Po. et al. J Am Chem Soc 108 5459 1986]. It is used as a standard in gas chromatography. [Beilstein 1 H 171, 1 IV 520.]
