Lexikon

hydrocarbons in which the carbon-hydrogen groupings are arranged in open chains (that might include branches). The term includes paraffins and olefins and provides a distinction from aromatics and naphthenes, which have at least some of their carbon atoms arranged in closed chains or rings. The paraffins, called also alkanes are saturated hydrocarbons, in their molecules the carbon atoms are bound by single bonds, e.g. hexadecane (C₁₆H₃₄). The olefins are unsaturated hydrocarbons, in their molecules there are carbon atoms, which are bound by double bond, e.g. hexadecene (C₁₆H₃₄) contains one double bond, butadiene (C₄H₄) contains two double bonds.