Ethylene – Specialty Gas
Ethylene, also known as ethene, is a simple alkene with the chemical formula C2H4. It's a colorless gas with a faint sweet odor at high concentrations. Ethylene is widely used in industry as a starting material for the production of numerous chemicals, including polyethene, the most common plastic globally. Ethylene (C2H4) Gas Key Properties of Ethylene (C2H4) Gas: Chemical formula: C2H4 CAS number: 74-85-1 EINECS number: 200-815-3 Molecular weight: 28.05 g/mol Boiling point: -103.7 °C (-154.6 °F) Melting point: -169.2 °C (-272.6 °F) Density: 1.178 kg/m³ (at 0 °C and 1 atm) Flammability range in air: 2.7–36.0% (by volume) Production of Ethylene (C2H4) Gas: Ethylene is primarily produced through several methods: Cracking of petroleum: This process involves heating heavier hydrocarbons at high temperatures without oxygen, breaking them down into smaller molecules, including ethylene. Dehydration of ethanol: Ethanol vapour is passed over catalysts at elevated temperatures, ...