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Xylene
- Benchmark: Benchmark 1
- Assessed: 2014-05-04
Key Functions: Industrial / Manufacturing, Pesticides & Biocides, Solvents & Cleaning, Tech, Energy & Fuel
Xylenes are used as an industrial solvent for paints, coatings, adhesives, and rubber (ATSDR 2007). It is also blended into gasoline to improve octane ratings (HSDB 2009). Xylene ranks in the top 30 chemicals produced in the United States. There are 3 different isomers of xylene: meta-xylene, ortho-xylene, and para-xylene (m-, o-, and p-xylene). Mixed xylene is a mixture of the 3 isoforms and it commonly contains ethylbenzene (ATSDR 2007).
Chemical Synonyms Dimethylbenzene (1,2-; 1,3-; or 1,4-); Xylenes; Xylol (mixture); m-, o-, or p-xylene (isomers); Methyltoluene