Ethane

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**Properties**
General
Name	Ethane

Chemical formula	C H₃CH₃
Formula weight	30.07 amu
Synonyms	Dimethyl, Ethyl hydride, Methylmethane
CAS number	74-84-0
UN number	1035
Phase behavior
Melting point	90.34 K (-182.76°C)
Boiling point	184.5 K (-88.6°C)
Triple point	91 K (-182°C) 0.000011 bar
Critical point	305 K (32°C) 49 bar
Δ_fusH	0.583 kJ/mol
Δ_fusS	6.46 J/mol·K
Δ_vapH	10 kJ/mol
Solubility	4.7 ml/100 ml water
Liquid properties
Δ_fH⁰_liquid	? kJ/mol
S⁰_liquid	126.7 J/mol·K
C_p	68 J/mol·K
Density	0.548 ×10³ kg/m³
Gas properties
Δ_fH⁰_gas	-83.8 kJ/mol
S⁰_gas	? J/mol·K
C_p	52.49 J/mol·K
Safety'
Ingestion	Nausea, vomiting, internal hemorrhage.
Inhalation	Rapid breathing & heart rate. Headaches, mood disturbance, conufsion and seisures may occur. Danger of cardiac arrest in severe cases.
Skin	(Frostbite on exposure to cryogenic liquid)
Flash point	-135°C
Autoignition temperature	515°C
Explosive limits	3-12.5%
More info
Properties	NIST WebBook
MSDS	Hazardous Chemical Database
SI units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, standard conditions were used. Disclaimer and references

Ethane is a chemical compound with chemical formula C₂H₆. It is an alkane, that is, an aliphatic hydrocarbon. At ordinary pressure and temperature ethane is a colourless, odourless gas.

It is the simplest saturated hydrocarbon containing more than one carbon atom. Ethane is a prominent compound of industrial importance, by converting it to ethylene or using it as a building block for the petrochemical industry, for the synthesis both of polyethylene plastic and other small compounds.

In industrial scale, ethane is produced from natural gas and from waste products of petroleum raffination. Chemical synthesis can be achieved by electrolysis of concentrated sodium acetate solutions (Kolbe electrolysis).