It is a mixture of aliphatic and alicyclic C7 to C*2 hydrocarbons with a maximum content of *5% of C7 to C*2 aromatic hydrocarbons. A typical composition for mineral spirits is the following: > *5% C*0 or higher hydrocarbons[6], aliphatic solvent hexane, and a maximum aromatic hydrocarbon content of 0.1% by volume, a kauri-butanol value of *9, an initial boiling point of **9 °F (*5 °C), a dry point of approximately **6 °F (*9 °C), and a specific mass of 0.7 g/cc.

Stoddard solvent is a specific mixture of hydrocarbons typically > *5% C*0 or higher hydrocarbons [7].

White spirit is used as an extraction solvent, as a cleaning solvent, as a degreasing solvent and as a solvent in aerosols, paints, wood preservatives, lacquers, varnishes, and asphalt products. In western Europe about *0% of the total white spirit consumption is used in paints, lacquers and varnishes. White spirit is the most widely used solvent in the paint industry. In households, white spirit is commonly used to clean paint brushes after decorating. Its paint thinning properties enable brushes to be cleaned (by preventing the paint from hardening and ruining the bristles), enabling them to be reused.

Three different types and three different grades of white spirit exist. The type refers to whether the solvent has been subjected to hydrodesulfurization (removal of sulfur) alone (type 1), solvent extraction (type 2) or hydrogenation (type 3). Each type comprises three different grades: low flash grade, regular grade, and high flash grade. The grade is determined by the crude oil used as the starting material and the conditions of distillation.