Ethane is a colorless and odorless gas classified as a hydrocarbon alkane. It has a chemical formula of C2H6 and is soluble in polar solvents. Ethane is a clean fuel and is mainly used for the production of ethylene through the steam cracking process. Ethylene is used in various industries, including food ripening and welding gas production.
Ethane is a hydrocarbon compound that exists in nature as an odorless and colorless gas at standard temperature and pressure. Due to the presence of a single bond in its structure, it is classified as a hydrocarbon alkane and is included in the first four primary alkanes: methane, ethane, propane and butane. Ethane was first discovered by Michael Faraday in 1834 when he electrolyzed a solution of potassium acetate. The name “etano” was derived from “ether”, where the latter derives from the Latin aether and from the Greek aithēr, which means “upper air”.
The chemical formula for ethane gas is C2H6, which includes it in the paraffin series, which support a standard formula of CnH2n+2. It is a stable compound and exhibits resistance to reactivity. It has a molar mass of 30.07 grams per mole (g/mol). The melting point of ethane is -181.76° C (89.34 K) while its boiling point is -88.6° C (184.5 K).
Due to its non-polar nature, it is soluble in polar solvents such as water. Typically, the solubility of ethane is quite low for the formation of a homogeneous solution at room temperature. As is the case with all alkanes, it is also highly combustible. Complete combustion of the gas produces carbon dioxide and water along with the release of 1561 kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Incomplete or partial combustion of gas leads to the production of single carbon compounds such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. Additional trivial products produced during the partial combustion of ethane are acetaldehyde, methanol, ethanol and methane. Structurally, it has one of the simplest lattices of all alkanes, consisting of a single carbon-carbon bond.
Ethane is classified as a clean fuel and is also the second major constituent of natural gas after methane. In addition to natural gas, it is also found in nature as a dissolved component in petroleum oil. Other than that, it is a major byproduct during operations involving oil refinery and coal carbonization.
Ethane is mainly used for the production of ethylene through the steam cracking process. Generally, this procedure makes use of another hydrogen reducing agent other than oxygen. The reaction is carried out at higher temperatures, in the range of 600° – 900° C (873.15 – 1,173.15 K). Ethylene is an important commercial commodity, used extensively to speed up the ripening process of foods, the production of welding gases, and a major component in the production of Levinstein sulfur mustard, a deadly chemical weapons gas.
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