Toluene is a hydrocarbon compound used as a solvent in industry, paint thinner, cleaner, and degreaser. It can dissolve many substances and has various industrial and chemical uses. It is toxic to humans and can cause intoxication, nausea, confusion, and even death. Toluene is versatile but dangerous.
Toluene, also known as toluene, phenylmethane and methylbenzene, is a hydrocarbon compound most often used as a paint thinner, cleaner and degreaser. It is widely used as a solvent in industry as many different substances dissolve in it easily. It has also been used in the process of removing cocaine from coca leaves used in Coca-Cola® syrup. Present in low levels in crude oil, it is generally produced in the gasoline manufacturing process. The molecular formula of toluene is C7H8 (C6H5CH3).
A powerful solvent, toluene can dissolve many substances, including paints, rubber, adhesives, lacquers, and leather tanners. It is an ingredient of polyurethane foam and is a component of TNT. In some specific cases it can also be used as a cement by dissolving and fusing the surfaces. The compound also has several industrial and chemical uses, as it reacts to form a wide variety of different and useful substances. It is even a source of carbon for making carbon nanotubules.
Toluene’s myriad uses don’t stop there. In biochemistry, it can be used to extract hemoglobin from red blood cells. It is sometimes used as an octane booster in gasoline fuels burned in internal combustion engines. However, it can damage fuel systems as it has no lubricating properties and eats through ordinary rubber fuel lines. Because it has remarkable heat transfer properties, toluene is also often used as a coolant.
Inhalation of toluene fumes can have an intoxicating effect. At low levels, during the exposure period, inhalation symptoms include nausea, fatigue, confusion, memory loss, and sensory confusion. At high levels, exposure magnifies all of these symptoms and can even lead to unconsciousness or death. It is hypothesized that prolonged exposure may have a negative effect on renal function.
Toluene is toxic to humans primarily because it is nearly insoluble in water. As such, it cannot be removed from the body via any traditional excretory route and must be metabolized. Most of the products of its metabolism are broken down and detoxified. The remainder, however, can be very harmful to cells. It can be especially dangerous if ingested directly, which often happens when it gets into a water source.
Toluene is a very useful industrial chemical due to its versatility and its merits as a solvent. It can dissolve a wide variety of substances and is an important raw material in many other substances. Like many solvents, it has an intoxicating effect when inhaled and can be very dangerous, even fatal, in large quantities.
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