Properties and Uses of Cyclohexane

Cyclohexane is a colorless liquid, insoluble in water but soluble in hydrocarbon solvents, alcohol, and acetone. As a cyclic paraffin, it can be easily dehydrogenated to benzene. The dehydrogenation of cyclohexane and its derivatives (present in naphthas) to aromatic hydrocarbons is an important reaction in the catalytic reforming process.

Essentia]ly, all cyclohexane is oxidized either to a cyclohexanonecyclohexanol mixture used for making caprolactam or to adipic acid. These are monomers for making nylon 6 and nylon 6/6.