What is "cumene"

Cumene \Cu"mene\ (k?"m?n), n. [From Cumin.] (Chem.) A colorless oily hydrocarbon, C6H5.C3H7, obtained by the distillation of cuminic acid; -- called also cumol.

n. (context organic compound English) The aromatic hydrocarbon ''isopropyl benzene'' present in petroleum.

Cumene is the common name for isopropylbenzene, an organic compound that is based on an aromatic hydrocarbon with an aliphatic substitution. It is a constituent of crude oil and refined fuels. It is a flammable colorless liquid that has a boiling point of 152 °C. Nearly all the cumene that is produced as a pure compound on an industrial scale is converted to cumene hydroperoxide, which is an intermediate in the synthesis of other industrially important chemicals, primarily phenol and acetone.