Xylene

Xylene is used as a solvent for printing, rubber, and leather industries.

It is a common component of ink, rubber, and adhesive. In thinning paints and varnishes, it can be substituted for toluene where slower drying is desired. Similarly it is a cleaning agent for steel, silicon wafers, and integrated circuits.

Clear colourless, sweet smelling, aromatic hydrocarbon. Xylene is a mixture of three Xylene isomers (metaxylene, orthoxylene and paraxylene) and ethyl benzene. Typically metaxylene is a predominant isomer. Xylene is miscible with vegetable oils, alcohols, ether and most organic solvents but not water. Due to its pure, aromatic nature it is an excellent solvent for many synthetic and natural resins, fats and waxes.