Heptane
Overview
 
n-Heptane is the straight-chain alkane
Alkane
Alkanes are chemical compounds that consist only of hydrogen and carbon atoms and are bonded exclusively by single bonds without any cycles...

 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....

 H3C(CH2)5CH3 or C7H16. When used as a test fuel component in anti-knock test engines, a 100% heptane fuel is the zero point of the octane rating
Octane rating
Octane rating or octane number is a standard measure of the anti-knock properties of a motor or aviation fuel. The higher the octane number, the more compression the fuel can withstand before detonating...

 scale (the 100 point is a 100% iso-octane
2,2,4-Trimethylpentane
2,2,4-Trimethylpentane, also known as isooctane, iso-octane, is an organic compound with the formula 3CCH2CH2. It is one of several isomers of octane . This particular isomer is the standard for 100 point on the octane rating scale...

). Octane number equates to the anti-knock qualities of a comparison mixture of heptane and isooctane which is expressed as the percentage of isooctane in heptane and is listed on pumps for gasoline dispensed in the United States and internationally.
Heptane (and its many isomers) is widely applied in laboratories as a totally non-polar solvent
Solvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...

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