Formula
CH
2 = CH
2Description
Ethylene is a non-toxic, non-corrosive, colorless gas with very little odor. It burns readily in the presence of oxygen with a luminous flame.
Properties
| Parameter | Unit | Quantity |
|---|
| Molecular weight | g/mol | 28.05 |
| Vapor density | air = 1 | 0.98 |
| Freezing point | °C | -169.2 |
| Boiling Point | °C at 1.0 atm | 103.7 |
| CAS number | 74-85-1 |
| IUPAC name | Ethene |
Specifications
| Parameter | Unit | Quantity | Test Method PK |
|---|
| Purity * | vol % | 99.9 min. | ASTM D-2505 |
| Methane + ethane | ppm, vol | 1000 max. | ASTM D-2505 |
| C3 + C4 | ppm, vol | 10 max. | ASTM D-2505 |
| Ethane | ppm, vol | 500 max. | ASTM D-2505 |
| Acetylene | ppm, vol | 5 max. | ASTM D-2505 |
| Hydrogen | ppm, vol | 5 max. | ASTM D-2504 |
| Oxygen | ppm, vol | 5 max. | - |
| Carbon monoxide | ppm, vol | 2 max. | ASTM D-2505 |
| Acetone + Methane + n-propanol | ppm, wt | 10 max. | ASTM D-4815 |
| Carbon dioxide | ppm, vol | 5 max. | ASTM D-2505 |
| Water | ppm, wt | 5 max. | ASTM D-1142 |
| Total Sulfur (as S) | ppm, wt | 1 max. | ASTM D-4045 |
| Total basic nitrogen (Calculated as NH3) | ppm, vol | 5 max. | ASTM D-4629 |
* The percent ethylene is obtained by subtracting all the sum of all hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon impurities from 100. Note: - ASTM : American Society for Testing and Materials
Hazards and safety
| Parameter | Unit | Quantity |
|---|
| Explosion limits | vol % | 3.1-32 |
| lgnition temperature | °C | 450 |
| Flash point | °C | -136 |
| UN or ID No | | 1962 |
Applications
Ethylene is the premier building block of the petrochemicals industry. It is used in the production of polyethylene, ethylene dichloride, ethanol, styrene, glycols and many other products.
Storage and handling
Ethylene is usually stored as liquid at very low temperatures (around -103°C). Cryogenic tanks are commonly employed. Pipelines are frequently used to transfer ethylene. Very little ethylene is transferred by truck.
Cryogenic tankers.