Product Overview
Petroleum Ether Technical Grade is a low-boiling aliphatic hydrocarbon solvent identified by CAS 8032-32-4. Despite its name, petroleum ether is not an ether — it is a mixture of light petroleum distillates valued for fast evaporation and strong solvency against oils, waxes, and nonpolar residues. This Technical Grade is offered for industrial operations where the solvent's volatility and dissolving power matter more than analytical-grade purity. Alliance Chemical carries this product in sizes from 1 L bottles to 55 gal drums, covering bench-scale trials through production-volume consumption.
Why This Grade
Technical Grade petroleum ether is the working choice for operations that consume solvent in volume — parts degreasing, bulk extraction, coating formulation — and do not require the narrow boiling-range cuts or low-residue guarantees that analytical or chromatographic work demands. It delivers the same fundamental solvency and fast-drying behavior as higher-grade fractions at a lower per-unit cost, which matters when your facility is running through drums on a production line.
If your process involves regulated analytical testing, final-product QC, or residue-sensitive instrumentation, a higher-grade solvent may be appropriate for those specific steps. Technical Grade is the right pick when the solvent is a consumable, not a measured reagent — like degreasing baths, extraction runs, or viscosity adjustment in coatings.
Chemical Profile
Petroleum ether carries the CAS registry number 8032-32-4. Because it is a mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons rather than a single compound, it does not have a single molecular formula or molecular weight. The product is classified as a highly flammable liquid (per the product's GHS classification) with low-boiling characteristics that give it rapid evaporation at ambient conditions — a property that makes it effective wherever a fast-clearing solvent is needed.
Industrial Applications
Petroleum ether's combination of strong nonpolar solvency and rapid evaporation makes it useful across several industrial workflows:
-
Extraction solvent — Dissolves and separates nonpolar compounds from raw materials: plant extracts, oil-bearing seeds, wax recovery. The solvent evaporates quickly from the extracted fraction, reducing downstream processing time.
-
Cleaning and degreasing — Removes oils, greases, and machining residues from metal parts, tooling, and equipment surfaces. Fast drying means parts can return to service or move to the next process step without extended wait times.
-
Coatings and paints — Adjusts viscosity and drying characteristics in coating formulations. Evaporates cleanly to leave the applied film without solvent trapping.
-
Laboratory solvent — Employed in synthesis and separation workflows where Technical Grade purity is sufficient for the procedure at hand. Common in educational and industrial R&D settings that do not require chromatographic-grade fractions.
Handling & Storage
This product carries a Danger signal word (per the product's GHS classification). The governing hazard statements are serious and demand respect:
- H225: Highly flammable liquid and vapour (per the product's GHS classification)
- H304: May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways (per the product's GHS classification)
- H336: May cause drowsiness or dizziness (per the product's GHS classification)
- H340: May cause genetic defects (per the product's GHS classification)
- H350: May cause cancer (per the product's GHS classification)
Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from heat sources, open flames, sparks, and strong oxidizers. Use containers rated for flammable liquids — HDPE or glass for smaller volumes, approved steel drums for bulk. Keep containers tightly closed when not in use. Wear chemical-resistant gloves and splash goggles, and use engineering ventilation (fume hood or local exhaust) to control vapor exposure. The H340 and H350 classifications place this product in a chronic-hazard category — minimize exposure duration, avoid skin contact, and follow your facility's chemical hygiene plan for mutagenic and carcinogenic substances.
Hazmat & Shipping
Petroleum Ether Technical Grade is regulated for transport as a Class 3 flammable liquid with the highest danger designation within that class:
-
UN Number: UN1268 (per 49 CFR 172.101)
-
Hazard Class: 3 (per 49 CFR 172.101)
-
Packing Group: I (per 49 CFR 172.101)
-
Proper Shipping Name: Petroleum distillates, n.o.s. (Petroleum ether) (per 49 CFR 172.101)
Packing Group I indicates the most stringent packaging, labeling, and placarding requirements within Class 3. Every shipment leaves Alliance Chemical with the required hazmat shipping documentation. Carriers may charge hazmat fees or apply routing restrictions based on this classification — contact our shipping team for specifics on your delivery.
Documentation
An SDS ships with every order and is available in English, Spanish, French, and Japanese. A lot-specific Certificate of Analysis (COA) is available on request so you can verify the batch you receive against your incoming-material specs. A Technical Data Sheet (TDS) is also included upon request for additional product reference.
Why Buy from Alliance Chemical
Petroleum Ether Technical Grade is available to order from 1 L bottles through 55 gal drums — a packaging range that serves bench testing, mid-scale shop use, and full production lines without forcing you to source from multiple suppliers. When comparing competitors, consider documentation, hazmat handling capability, and packaging flexibility together. Alliance Chemical has distributed hazmat chemicals from our Taylor, Texas facility since 1998, serving over 50,000 customers across industrial, laboratory, and institutional markets. Shipping and handling guidance on this page is reviewed by Andre Taki, DOT Hazmat Specialist (USDOT 2188383).
