Mix Xylene

Xylene (from Greek ξύλο, xylo, "wood"), xylol or dimethylbenzene is any one of three isomers of dimethylbenzene, or a combination thereof. With the formula (CH₃)₂C₆H₄, each of the three compounds has a central benzene ring with two methyl groups attached at substituents. They are all colorless, flammable liquids, some of which are of great industrial value. The mixture is referred to as both xylene and, more precisely, xylenes.

Xylene is used in the laboratory to make baths with dry ice to cool reaction vessels,^[15] and as a solvent to remove synthetic immersion oilfrom the microscope objective in light microscopy.^[16] In histology, xylene is the most widely used clearing agent.^[17] Xylene is used to remove paraffin from dried microscope slides prior to staining. After staining, microscope slides are put in xylene prior to mounting with a coverslip.