Ethane is the simplest structural form of a hydrocarbon.
Keyword:
natural gas
Keyword:
hydrocarbon
Keyword:
plastic
Common name:
Ethane
CSD refcode:
ETHANE01
Layman's explanation:
Ethane is a colorless, odorless gas that is practically insoluble in water. It burns in air and is the second largest component of natural gas. Ethane is widely used industrially because it can easily be converted to ethylene through a process called cracking and using it as a building block for the petrochemical industry, for the synthesis both of polyethylene plastic and other small compounds. The important derivatives of ethane are ethyl alcohol, acetaldehyde, and acetic acid.
IUPAC name:
Ethane
Citation of a publication:
G. J. H. van Nes, A. Vos; Acta Crystallogr.,
Sect. B: Struct. Crystallogr. Cryst. Chem.,
34, (1978), 1947
Miscellaneous comments:
Structure obtained courtesy of Cambridge Structural Database
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