Benzene - 71-43-2

Key Functions: Industrial / Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Solvents & Cleaning

Benzene is commercially produced from coal and petroleum sources. It is present as a natural part of crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke. The production of benzene ranks in the top 20 in the United States. It is widely used in industry, but the specific use as a solvent has decreased due to its adverse health effects (ASTDR 2007). One type of hydraulic fracturing fluids, water-based linear gels, sometimes uses benzene-containing diesel fuel in lieu of water to dissolve the guar powder to form the gel. Although this use has been largely eliminated due to health concerns, there may still be rare instances of use (U.S. EPA 2004).

Chemical Synonyms Benzol, Cyclohexatriene, Phene, Phenyl hydride; Benzole; Carbon oil; Mineral naphtha; Coal naphtha; Motor benzol

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