Acenaphthene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). ... Acenaphthene may be obtained from coal tar and petroleum refining, or by passing ethylene and benzene or naphthalene through a red-hot tube. Acenaphthene has been used as an intermediate in the production of dyes, pharmaceuticals, photographic chemicals, insecticides, fungicides, plastics and plant growth hormones, and in chemical, biochemical, or cancer research. Acenaphthene is also likely to be found mixed with other PAHs in commercial products like coal tar, coal tar pitch, creosote, bitumen and asphalt.
