hydrocarbures vrais saturés ou insaturés

English translation: true hydrocarbons, saturated or unsaturated

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:hydrocarbures vrais saturés ou insaturés
English translation:true hydrocarbons, saturated or unsaturated
Entered by: Nancy Burgess (X)

14:40 Jun 9, 2007
French to English translations [PRO]
Science - Biology (-tech,-chem,micro-)
French term or phrase: hydrocarbures vrais saturés ou insaturés
This is from a text about enzymatic hydrolysis. The context is as follows:

"L’opération d’hydrolyse met en jeu des microorganismes essentiellement des bactéries aérobies ou anaérobies qui décomposent la matière organique et conduisent à l’émission de produits volatils dans l’atmosphère. Cette réaction produit de très nombreuses espèces organiques (plusieurs centaines), cependant les espèces les plus abondantes, les **hydrocarbures vrais saturés ou insaturés**, sont peu abondantes."

I'm not quite clear what a "true" saturated hydrocarbon would be, if indeed this is the correct EN term.

I'd be grateful if anyone could assist with this.
Nancy Burgess (X)
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:07
true hydrocarbons, saturated or unsaturated
Explanation:
It is quite clear from the context that the source expression means just what it says. You can't really say "true saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbons" in English: it suggests there might be some other kind of hydrocarbons. In fact, the expression "saturés ou insaturés" is somewhat redundant: a hydrocarbon is either saturated or it isn't. The intention, however, is to emphasize that both types occur.

Here is a quote using "true hydrocarbon" in English:
For drycleaning
purposes, a solvent that is a true hydrocarbon should be
chosen: one that is made up of hydrogen and carbon only.

There are awfully many distracting false hits for "true hydrocarbon", such as "true hydrocarbon reserves", which are true reserves of hydrocarbons, not reserves of true hydrocarbons, but this one along with one or two others, is genuine.
Selected response from:

Richard Benham
France
Local time: 07:07
Grading comment
Thanks, this seems to be about right (to this non-scientist) , in context.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1true hydrocarbons, saturated or unsaturated
Richard Benham
3straight saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon
Drmanu49
4 -1satrated or insaturated true hydrocarbons
Hervé du Verle


  

Answers


40 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
straight saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon


Explanation:
On dit que l'on a affaire à un alcyne vrai si R ou R' est un hydrogène.

saturés. ALCANES. CYCLANES. ALCENES. CYCLENES. insaturés. ALCYNES ..... Semblable à celle des alcènes, en outre les alcynes vrais sont des acides. ...
pharmtox.free.fr/pharmacie/chimie/Hydrocarbures.htm - 148k

In formula (I), R1 represents a straight-chain or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group carrying 10 to 40 carbon atoms; R2 represents a ...
www.wipo.org/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo=1994012490 - 39k

wherein R is a divalent, trivalent or tetravalent saturated hydrocarbon radical; ... ##STR17## wherein R and R1 are hydrogen, alkyls or cyclic hydrocarbons ...
www.patentstorm.us/patents/5019274-claims.html - 20k

A compound of claim 3 wherein R is a straight saturated hydrocarbon chain ... The straight or branched saturated hydrocarbon chain described herein may also ...
www.freepatentsonline.com/4187319.html - 38k

Drmanu49
France
Local time: 07:07
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
PRO pts in category: 91

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Karen Tkaczyk: I don't have a sure solution, but I think 'lineaire' (vs 'ramifié' ) would be used in French if they were talking about straight chains. Perhaps 'unsubstituted would be better but there's not enough usage of the French term for me to be sure.
43 mins
  -> I know, it has to do with The R o R' hydrogen.

neutral  Richard Benham: I really don't think it's about straight hydrocarbon chains; from the context, it almost certainly means just what it says.
10 hrs
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10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
true hydrocarbons, saturated or unsaturated


Explanation:
It is quite clear from the context that the source expression means just what it says. You can't really say "true saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbons" in English: it suggests there might be some other kind of hydrocarbons. In fact, the expression "saturés ou insaturés" is somewhat redundant: a hydrocarbon is either saturated or it isn't. The intention, however, is to emphasize that both types occur.

Here is a quote using "true hydrocarbon" in English:
For drycleaning
purposes, a solvent that is a true hydrocarbon should be
chosen: one that is made up of hydrogen and carbon only.

There are awfully many distracting false hits for "true hydrocarbon", such as "true hydrocarbon reserves", which are true reserves of hydrocarbons, not reserves of true hydrocarbons, but this one along with one or two others, is genuine.


    Reference: http://www.cpchem.com/enu/docs_specialty/SolventsforDryClean...
Richard Benham
France
Local time: 07:07
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thanks, this seems to be about right (to this non-scientist) , in context.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Cetacea
15 hrs
  -> Thanks, whales.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): -1
satrated or insaturated true hydrocarbons


Explanation:
you will find many details here
http://megabyte.zh.em-leading.info/en/hydrocarbon

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Note added at 19 mins (2007-06-09 14:59:27 GMT)
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saturated!...


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2007-06-10 03:26:52 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

and unsaturated... one key too far

----------quote
Without too much chemistry, a true hydrocarbon oil contains carbon, hydrogen (CH3-CH2-CH2- CH2-) and nothing else—a point missed by some major vacuum fluid suppliers.

Hydrocarbons from cracked crude oil inevitably contain sulfur compounds, aromatic ring compounds, plus (non-conjugated) carbon-carbon unsaturation. These components are more reactive and, therefore, undesirable for vacuum fluids.
http://www.lesker.com/newweb/fluids/fluids_technicalnotes_1....

About the word order, French says 'hydrocarbures vrais' therefore insisting on 'vrais'...
and many compounds are called hydrocarbons though they are not simply made of carbon and hydrogen...

Research on bacterial strains able to degrade hydrocarbons (in former industrial estates/soils, for instance) is currently very... "active".


Hervé du Verle
Local time: 01:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in FrenchFrench

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  Karen Tkaczyk: 'unsaturated' in English
58 mins

neutral  Richard Benham: KT is right, and the word order is less than satisfactory, but basically this is the right answer.
10 hrs
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