noun
- saturated hydrocarbons with the molecular formula C19H40, found in petroleum and some biological materials
Usage: chemistry; technical
Examples
- Pristanes are commonly used as biomarkers in petroleum geochemistry.
- The laboratory analyzed pristanes in the crude oil sample.
- Pristanes can be found in certain marine organisms.
- Researchers detected pristanes in the sediment core.
- The concentration of pristanes indicated the oil’s maturity level.