Add to MyChemicals Print Friendly Page
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 about reactivity predictions...

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 468 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
Unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons are generally much more reactive than 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 prone 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 at least one double or triple bond between the carbon atoms. They are also known as alkenes or olefins (for compounds containing a C-C double bond) and alkynes (for compounds containing a C-C triple bond). 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
Butene, pentene, acetylene, amylene, cycloheptatriene, cycloheptane, cyclohexane, cyclooctadiene, isobutylene, dipentene, ethylene, hexene, isohexene, isoprene, methyl pentadiene.

Reactivity Documentation

Use the links below to find out how this reactive group interacts with any of the reactive groups in the database.

The predicted hazards and gas byproducts for each reactive group pair will be displayed, as well as documentation and references that were used to make the reactivity predictions.

Mix Hydrocarbons, Aliphatic Unsaturated with: