Petroleum Distillates General Information Petroleum distillates is the term commonly used to refer to aliphatic hydrocarbons. Aliphatic hydrocarbons can actually be divided into two groups: petroleum distillates and synthetic paraffinic hydrocarbons. We use petroleum distillates to mean both types of products. Petroleum distillates include mineral spirits, kerosene, white spirits, naphtha, and Stoddard solvent. These products may contain trace amounts of benzene and other aromatics. When compared to petroleum distillates, the paraffinic hydrocarbons have lower flammability, lower aromatic content, narrower boiling range, and higher solvency. They are also more expensive than the petroleum distillates. The petroleum distillates (and paraffinic hydrocarbons) work well on hard-to-clean organic soils such as heavy oil and grease, tar, and waxes. These products typically have low liquid surface tensions (22 to 28 dynes/cm). This allows them to penetrate and clean small spaces. Petroleum distillates typically operate at near room temperatures. This is due to the flammability of the products. However, the flash points may be higher than that of terpenes. Petroleum distillates are usually used in immersion baths. Ultrasonics may or may not work, depending on the particular product. Petroleum distillates can typically handle high soil loads. When the cleaning power of the bath is exhausted, the entire bath usually needs to be replaced. Petroleum distillates are compatible with most materials including most elastomers. Mineral spirits may not be compatible with EPDM, SBR, and silicone. Petroleum distillates are frequently used in manual wipe-down processes. Aliphatic hydrocarbons are often blends containing oxygenated hydrocarbons. Flash points are higher than that of terpenes and traditional solvents. Lower flash points mean faster drying but more danger of burning. State Information | Glossary | Conversion Checklist | Comments Home | Process Advisor | Alternatives | Links | Search All SAGE material, Copyright© 1992, Research Triangle Institute Last Update: 17 March 1995 sage@rti.org http://clean.rti.org/alt.cfm?id=pd&cat=gi