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C2H4

Ethylene

Colorless, flammable gas with a faint sweet and musty odor.
Shipping Information
D.O.T. Proper Shipping Name:
Ethylene
I.D. Number:
UN1962
Hazard Class:
2.1
Shipping Labels:
Flammable Gas
Technical Information
Molecular weight:
28.064
Specific volume:
13.7ft3/lb
CAS registry:
74-85-1
SDS ref:
Ethylene
About

Ethylene (C₂H₄) stands as one of the most important organic compounds in both nature and industry, featuring a structure where two carbon atoms share a double bond while each also bonds to two hydrogen atoms. This double bond creates a flat, rigid molecule where all atoms lie in the same plane – quite different from its saturated cousin ethane – and this structural feature gives ethylene its remarkable reactivity.

In nature, this small but mighty molecule serves as a plant hormone, triggering fruit ripening and leaf senescence through a cascade of biochemical changes. The same double bond that makes it biologically active also makes it industrially invaluable – ethylene eagerly participates in addition reactions and polymerization, making it the world’s most produced organic compound by mass. Chemical companies transform ethylene into a vast array of products including polyethylene plastics, antifreeze (ethylene glycol), and even the ripening gas used to turn green bananas yellow in storage facilities.

The gas itself has a slightly sweet odor and, like many unsaturated hydrocarbons, is highly flammable – a property that requires careful handling in industrial settings where millions of tons are produced annually through steam cracking of larger hydrocarbons.

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