Solvent extraction of vegetable oils such as soybean oil dominates the oilseed industry as the most popular extraction method used around the world. Most large solvent plants use hexane extraction to chemically separate oilseeds into liquid fats and solid proteins, two ingredients that are popular in the food industry and many other market segments.

With the growing focus on natural, organic and chemical-free products, some consumers have questioned the ubiquity of hexane extraction in our modern food chain. However, as the main solvent used in oil extraction worldwide, hexane has many advantages that have maintained its dominance in the industry.

In this blog, we will break down hexane extraction to explain what it is, why it is better suited for large-scale oilseed extraction, and why some processors may be looking for greener alternatives.

What is hexane (hexane sds)?

Hexane (C6H14) is a hydrocarbon derived from crude oil. In fact, hexane is very similar to the gasoline that we put in our cars; It's just a slightly lighter molecule made up of six carbon chains - compared to the eight carbon chains of octane. In its pure form, hexane is a colorless solvent that evaporates easily and is only slightly dissolved in water. It is incredibly volatile and highly flammable, and its vapors can be explosive.

Although hexane is a potentially dangerous substance, it has many uses in food and other industrial applications. For example, it is commonly used as a cleaner in the textile and furniture manufacturing industry, as a degreaser in the printing industry, and as the basis for paint thinners and glues, from those used in industrial shoes and roofing to everyday household products such as rubber cement and spray adhesives.

Most notably, hexane is the main solvent used to extract edible and industrial vegetable oils from the world's top five commercial oilseeds: soybeans, canola, sunflower, cottonseed, and peanuts.