Editing Hydrocarbon (section)

==Usage==
[[File:ShellMartinez-refi.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|[[Oil refineries]] are one way hydrocarbons are processed for use. [[Crude oil]] is processed in several stages to form desired hydrocarbons, used as fuel and in other products.]]
[[File:2018-05-04 (303) Tank wagon 33 80 7920 362-0 with hydrocarbon gas at Bahnhof Enns.jpg|thumb|Tank wagon 33 80 7920 362–0 with hydrocarbon gas at Bahnhof Enns (2018)]]

The predominant use of hydrocarbons is as a combustible [[fuel]] source. Methane is the predominant component of natural gas. C<sup>6</sup> through C<sup>10</sup> alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes, and aromatic hydrocarbons are the main components of [[gasoline]], [[Petroleum naphtha|naphtha]], [[jet fuel]], and specialized industrial solvent mixtures. With the progressive addition of carbon units, the simple non-ring structured hydrocarbons have higher [[viscosities]], lubricating indices, boiling points, and [[solidification]] temperatures. At the opposite extreme from methane lie the heavy [[tar]]s that remain as the ''lowest fraction'' in a crude oil [[Refining industry|refining]] retort. They are collected and widely utilized as roofing compounds, pavement material ([[bitumen]]), wood preservatives (the [[creosote]] series) and as extremely high viscosity shear-resisting liquids.

Some large-scale non-fuel applications of hydrocarbons begin with ethane and propane, which are obtained from petroleum and natural gas.  These two gases are converted either to [[syngas]] or to [[ethylene]] and [[propylene]] respectively. Global consumption of benzene in 2021 is estimated at more than 58 million metric tons, which will increase to 60 million tons in 2022.<ref name="Chem-Systems-2010">{{Cite web|title=Benzene global market volume 2015-2026|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/1245172/benzene-market-volume-worldwide/|access-date=2021-12-05|website=Statista|language=en}}</ref>

Hydrocarbons are also prevalent in nature. Some eusocial arthropods, such as the Brazilian stingless bee, ''[[Schwarziana quadripunctata]]'', use unique [[cuticular hydrocarbon]] "scents" in order to determine kin from non-kin. This hydrocarbon composition varies between age, sex, nest location, and hierarchal position.<ref name=nunes09>{{cite journal|last1=Nunes|first1=T.M.|last2=Turatti|first2=I.C.C.|last3=Mateus|first3=S.|last4=Nascimento|first4=F.S.|last5=Lopes|first5=N.P.|last6=Zucchi|first6=R.|year=2009|title=Cuticular Hydrocarbons in the Stingless Bee ''Schwarziana quadripunctata'' (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini): Differences between Colonies, Castes and Age|journal=Genetics and Molecular Research|volume=8|issue=2|pages=589–595|url=http://www.funpecrp.com.br/gmr/year2009/vol8-2/pdf/kerr012.pdf|doi=10.4238/vol8-2kerr012|doi-broken-date=14 May 2025 |pmid=19551647|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926031231/http://www.funpecrp.com.br/gmr/year2009/vol8-2/pdf/kerr012.pdf|archive-date=26 September 2015|doi-access=free}}</ref>

There is also potential to harvest hydrocarbons from plants like ''[[Euphorbia lathyris]]'' and ''[[Euphorbia tirucalli|E.&nbsp;tirucalli]]'' as an alternative and renewable energy source for vehicles that use diesel.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Calvin |first1=Melvin |title=Hydrocarbons from plants: Analytical methods and observations |journal=Naturwissenschaften |year=1980 |volume=67 |issue=11 |pages=525–533 |doi=10.1007/BF00450661 |bibcode=1980NW.....67..525C |s2cid=40660980 |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc827749/ }}</ref> Furthermore, [[endophytic]] bacteria from plants that naturally produce hydrocarbons have been used in hydrocarbon degradation in attempts to deplete hydrocarbon concentration in polluted soils.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pawlik |first1=Malgorzata |title=Hydrocarbon degradation potential and plant growth-promoting activity of culturable endophytic bacteria of ''Lotus corniculatus'' and ''Oenothera biennis'' from a long-term polluted site |journal=Environmental Science and Pollution Research International |year=2017 |volume=24 |issue=24 |pages=19640–19652 |doi=10.1007/s11356-017-9496-1 |pmid=28681302 |pmc=5570797 |bibcode=2017ESPR...2419640P }}</ref>