What does naphthene mean?
A naphthene is a saturated cyclic hydrocarbon, most commonly a cycloalkane: a ring of carbon atoms joined by single bonds and carrying only hydrogen atoms around the ring. Simple examples include cyclohexane and cyclopentane. The term is especially important in petroleum chemistry, where naphthenes constitute one of the broad chemical families found in crude oil alongside paraffins and aromatic hydrocarbons. Calling these compounds “naphthenes” can make technical descriptions of oil, refining, and fuel analysis more concise than repeatedly using “saturated cyclic hydrocarbons.” The word is less common in general education than “cycloalkane,” but it is widely understood in geology, petroleum science, and industrial chemistry. Its name is related to naphtha, the older term for flammable petroleum or oily mixtures from which the hydrocarbon naming tradition developed.
nounA saturated cyclic hydrocarbon, especially one belonging to the cycloalkane series. The term is also used in petroleum chemistry for cyclic hydrocarbons found in crude oil.
- A saturated cyclic hydrocarbon, especially a cycloalkane.
- In petroleum chemistry, a cyclic hydrocarbon occurring in crude oil.
"The reaction produced a mixture of hydrocarbons, including several naphthenes."
"Cyclohexane is a simple naphthene."
"The petroleum industry analyzes crude oil partly to determine its naphthene content."
The plural is used for individual members of the class and, in technical contexts, for mixtures or quantities of these hydrocarbons.
"The crude oil contained a substantial fraction of naphthenes."
Naphthene is chemistry’s quiet collector: it names the ring-shaped hydrocarbons that make up a major class of petroleum molecules.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does naphthene come from?
The word “naphthene” was formed in the nineteenth century from “naphtha,” a term ultimately borrowed from Greek naphtha, meaning pitch or petroleum, with the chemical suffix “-ene.” In its original technical use, it referred to hydrocarbons associated with naphtha, before the term became established for saturated cyclic hydrocarbons. It belongs to a wider naming family that includes “naphthalene” and the adjective “naphthenic,” although those related words do not all denote the same class of compounds.
Related word forms
How naphthene is actually used
In modern organic chemistry, “naphthene” is chiefly used in technical and industrial contexts, especially in discussions of petroleum. In general chemistry, “cycloalkane” may be the more familiar term.
Easily confused with naphthene
Naphthene is a saturated cyclic hydrocarbon, whereas naphthalene is the fused aromatic compound C10H8.
Naphthene is a noun naming a cyclic hydrocarbon or class of hydrocarbons, while naphthenic is an adjective describing substances or groups related to those compounds.