A colorless, liquid, inflammable, aromatic hydro­carbon of chemical formula C₆H₆ which boils at 80.1°C (176°F) and freezes at 5.4–5.5°C (41.7–41.9°F). In the older American and British technical literature benzene is designated by the German name benzol. In current usage the term benzol is commonly reserved for the less pure grades of benzene.