A class of hydrocarbon (organic molecules containing only carbon and hydrogen atoms) in which the carbon structures can be straight-chain, branched chain, or cyclic, distinguished from the aromatic solvents.
Aliphatic hydrocarbons are one of several types of solvents, derived from petroleum oil, used in printing inks, especially those used in flexography. Examples of aliphatic hydrocarbons are VMP naphtha, gasoline, kerosene, etc. Although they are used often in conjunction with Buna N synthetic rubber plates and press rollers, they tend to cause swelling of natural and other synthetic rubbers.