Cymene, or p-cymene, is a naturally occurring aromatic organic compound. Cymene is produced by high purity separate technique which is applied in distilling of gum turpentine oil. And also formed in sulfite pulping process from the wood terpenes. It is classified as a hydrocarbon related to a monoterpene. Its structure consists of a benzene ring para-substituted with a methyl group and an isopropyl group. It is insoluble in water, but miscible with ethanol and ether.
Cymene is a constituent of a number of essential oils, most commonly the oil of cumin and thyme. There are two less common geometric isomers. o-Cymene, in which the alkyl groups are ortho-substituted, and m-cymene, in which they are meta-substituted. p-Cymene is the only natural isomer.