Tridecane
Encyclopedia
Tridecane may refer to any alkane
hydrocarbon
with the chemical formula
, or to a mixture of them. There are 802 constitutional isomers with that formula. In the IUPAC nomenclature, the name refers exclusively to one isomer, the straight-chain H3C(CH2)11CH3, also called normal or n-tridecane; the other isomers are named as derivatives of lighter hydrocarbons, as in 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-3-t-butyl-pentane.
Tridecanes are generally light, combustible colourless liquids. They are used (possibly mixed with other alkanes) in the manufacture of paraffin
products, in the paper
processing industry, in jet fuel
research and in the rubber
industry.
In chemical research, n-tridecane is used as a solvent
and distillation chaser.
Nymphs of the southern green stink bug
produce n-tridecane as a dispersion/aggregation pheromone
which possibly serves also as a defense against predators. It is also the main component of the defensive fluid produced by the stink bug Cosmopepla bimaculata.
Alkane
Alkanes are chemical compounds that consist only of hydrogen and carbon atoms and are bonded exclusively by single bonds without any cycles...
hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
with the chemical formula
Chemical formula
A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
, or to a mixture of them. There are 802 constitutional isomers with that formula. In the IUPAC nomenclature, the name refers exclusively to one isomer, the straight-chain H3C(CH2)11CH3, also called normal or n-tridecane; the other isomers are named as derivatives of lighter hydrocarbons, as in 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl-3-t-butyl-pentane.
Tridecanes are generally light, combustible colourless liquids. They are used (possibly mixed with other alkanes) in the manufacture of paraffin
Paraffin
In chemistry, paraffin is a term that can be used synonymously with "alkane", indicating hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to a mixture of alkanes that falls within the 20 ≤ n ≤ 40 range; they are found in the solid state at room temperature and begin to enter the...
products, in the paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
processing industry, in jet fuel
Jet fuel
Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
research and in the rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
industry.
In chemical research, n-tridecane is used as a solvent
Solvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
and distillation chaser.
Nymphs of the southern green stink bug
Nezara viridula
Nezara viridula, commonly known as the southern green stink bug or green vegetable bug , is a plant-feeding stink bug. Although believed to have originated in Ethiopia, it can now be found around the world...
produce n-tridecane as a dispersion/aggregation pheromone
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
which possibly serves also as a defense against predators. It is also the main component of the defensive fluid produced by the stink bug Cosmopepla bimaculata.