Isopentane,
C5H12, also called
methylbutane or
2-methylbutane, is a branched-chain
alkane with five
carbon atoms . Isopentane is an extremely
volatile and extremely
flammable liquid at room
temperature and
pressure. The
normal boiling point is just a few degrees above room temperature and isopentane will readily boil and evaporate away on a warm day. Isopentane is commonly used in conjunction with
liquid nitrogen to achieve a liquid bath temperature of -160 °C. It is 1% or less of natural gas.