butene, any of four isomeric compounds belonging to the series of olefinic hydrocarbons. The chemical formula is C4H8. The isomeric forms are 1-butene, cis-2-butene, trans-2-butene, and isobutylene. All four butenes are gases at room temperature and pressure.
Butenes are formed during the cracking (breaking down of large molecules) of petroleum to produce gasoline; they can also be prepared commercially by the catalytic dehydrogenation (elimination of hydrogen atoms from the molecule) of butanes. The major part of the butenes is utilized for the production of octanes, which are important constituents of gasoline. This is done either by causing the butenes to react with isobutane or by dimerizing (combining two molecules of) butenes to form octenes, which, on hydrogenation (addition of hydrogen atoms to molecules), yield octanes. On treatment with water in the presence of catalysts, the butenes are transformed into secondary and tertiary butyl alcohols, which are used as commercial solvents. On dehydrogenation, normal butenes form butadiene, the principal starting material for synthetic rubber.