Mineral oil hydrocarbons

Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MKW) are chemical compounds that are mainly used as solvents . They are contained in mineral, heating and lubricating oil as well as in gasoline and diesel fuel .

Mineral oil hydrocarbons are formed during the refining of crude oils that contain aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons . They are degradable in the soil under suitable conditions. They are completely insoluble in water, so that the undissolved constituents form a hydrocarbon layer on the surface (technical term "spreading").