Cyclododecane is an organic compound with the chemical formula

Chemical formula

A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....

 C₁₂H₂₄.

Cyclododecane is mainly used as an intermediate in production of flame retardant

Flame retardant

Flame retardants are chemicals used in thermoplastics, thermosets, textiles and coatings that inhibit or resist the spread of fire. These can be separated into several different classes of chemicals:...

s, detergent

Detergent

A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...

s, and other chemicals.

Cyclododecane is also used as a volatile binding medium, a temporary binder

Binder (material)

-See also:*Adhesive or Glue*Cement*Paint...

 for sealing and conservation of friable and structurally weak materials, e.g. during excavation and transport of archaeological

Archaeology

Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...

 objects and in art restoration

Art restoration

Art restoration is related to art conservation. Restoration is a process that attempts to return the work of art to some previous state that the restorer imagines was the "original". This was commonly done in the past...

, e.g. to protect water-sensitive parts during cleaning. Due to its relatively slow evaporation in comparison with other volatile binding mediums the layer can last for several weeks. Very pure material has to be used so it does not leave any residue. Cyclododecane can be applied in molten state or dissolved in a nonpolar organic solvent. Other volatile binding mediums in use are camphene

Camphene

Camphene is bicyclic monoterpene. It is nearly insoluble in water, but very soluble in common organic solvents. It volatilizes readily at room temperature and has a pungent smell. It is a minor constituent of many essential oils such as turpentine, cypress oil, camphor oil, citronella oil,...

, tricyclene and with some limits menthol

Menthol

Menthol is an organic compound made synthetically or obtained from peppermint or other mint oils. It is a waxy, crystalline substance, clear or white in color, which is solid at room temperature and melts slightly above. The main form of menthol occurring in nature is -menthol, which is assigned...

.http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/1999/0218.html

Cyclododecane is highly volatile. It is persistent in the environment, as it does not biodegrade easily and does not under go hydrolysis

Hydrolysis

Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction during which molecules of water are split into hydrogen cations and hydroxide anions in the process of a chemical mechanism. It is the type of reaction that is used to break down certain polymers, especially those made by condensation polymerization...

. Cyclododecane is lipophilic

Lipophilic

Lipophilicity, , refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene. These non-polar solvents are themselves lipophilic — the axiom that like dissolves like generally holds true...

, usually present in the environment as adsorbed on the surface of soil particles. Due to its tendency to persist in adipose tissue

Adipose tissue

In histology, adipose tissue or body fat or fat depot or just fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. It is technically composed of roughly only 80% fat; fat in its solitary state exists in the liver and muscles. Adipose tissue is derived from lipoblasts...

 it has a very high potential to bioaccumulate.http://www.coastalwiki.org/coastalwiki/Cyclododecane