Reactive Group Datasheet

Hydrocarbons, Aliphatic Unsaturated

What are reactive groups?

Reactive groups are categories of chemicals that typically react in similar ways because they are similar in their chemical structure. Each substance with a chemical datasheet has been assigned to one or more reactive groups, and CAMEO Chemicals uses the reactive group assignments to make its reactivity predictions. More Info...

If you can't find a chemical in the database--but you know what reactive group it belongs in--you can add the reactive group to MyChemicals instead in order to see the reactivity predictions.

There are 354 chemical datasheets assigned to this reactive group.

Description

Flammability

The lightest-molecular weight substances in this group are highly flammable and pose significant vapor cloud explosion hazards (examples are ethylene and propylene). All are combustible.

Reactivity

The unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons are generally much more reactive than the alkanes, which are saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons. Strong oxidizers may react vigorously with them. Reducing agents can react exothermically to release gaseous hydrogen gas. In the presence of various catalysts (such as acids) or initiators, compounds in this class can undergo very exothermic addition polymerization reactions. Many of these compounds undergo autoxidation upon exposure to the air to form explosive peroxides (this process generally occurs slowly). These peroxide and polyperoxide substances are usually extremely unstable and liable to detonation. The peroxidation of butadiene has been involved in several serious industrial explosion accidents.

Toxicity

Unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons have low toxicity, but act as asphyxiants.

Other Characteristics

Unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons are characterized by straight or branched carbon chains containing double and triple bonds between the carbon atoms. They are also known as alkenes (or olefins) and alkynes. Their physical state at room conditions changes with increasing molecular weight from gaseous to waxy solid. They are used in making rubber and plastics and in organic synthesis.

Examples

Butadiene, pentadiene, butyne, butene, pentene, acetylene, amylene, cycloheptatriene, cycloheptane, cyclohexane, cyclooctadiene, isobutylene, dipentene, ethylene, hexene, isohexene, isoprene, methyl pentadiene.

Reactivity Documentation

Click on the links below to see how this reactive group is predicted to react when it is mixed with one of the 47 reactive groups. A variety of documentation about that reactive group pair will be displayed, including predicted hazards, predicted gas byproducts, and background materials and references used to make the predictions.

Mix Hydrocarbons, Aliphatic Unsaturated with:

Search Chemicals

MyChemicals

Hydrocarbons, Aliphatic Unsaturated

What are reactive groups?

Description

Reactivity Documentation