Hexane is the dominant solvent for extracting oil from soybeans, cottonseed, and other oilseeds in commercial crushing operations. While hexane itself is an industrial chemical rather than a food ingredient, the FDA sets residue limits for hexane in extracted edible oils. Importers of food-grade hexane should ensure purity specifications meet applicable standards, and buyers of extracted oils should verify that solvent residues comply with FDA tolerances.

Normal paraffins (n-alkanes) have straight carbon chains, while isoparaffins are branched. This structural difference significantly affects physical properties: n-alkanes have higher melting points and are preferred feedstocks for linear alkylbenzene (LAB) and detergent alcohol production, while isoparaffins offer better low-temperature fluidity for lubricant and solvent applications. Both fall under SITC 51114, but buyers should specify chain length distribution and branching index in purchase contracts to ensure the material meets process requirements.