Skip to content

Ethylene (C2H4)

Ethylene is a flammable, colorless gas with a characteristic sweet odor.

EFC Gases & Advanced Materials > Products > Categories > Electronic Gases > Ethylene
Request Quote

Ethylene

Formula: C₂H₄

Most ethylene (C₂H₄) is used as a building block to produce other compounds.  Every organic compound, and synthetic polymer can be produced from ethylene, and many are. Ethylene is used to produce polymers, including polyethylene, the world’s more widely used plastic.  Polyethylene is used to make everything from milk jugs and plastic wrap, to plumbing pipes and car parts.

It is oxidized to produce ethylene oxide.  Ethylene oxide can be used for medical sterilization, or further reacted to produce antifreeze and detergents. Via a hydration reaction, ethylene is converted to ethanol and with hydroformylation of ethylene, propionaldehyde can be produced.

Ethylene can also be halogenated to produce various fluorinated and chlorinated compounds such as ethylene dichloride which is used to produce vinyl chloride. Some ethylene, at low concentrations, sometimes referred to as banana gas, is used to ripen fruits that have been shipped green and ethylene can be, and occasionally is, used as an anesthetic. And, with its low GWP (greenhouse warming potential) ethylene can be used as an environmentally friendly refrigerant.  Ethylene is used as a refrigerant in LNG, liquified natural gas, liquefaction plants. Ethylene is used for semiconductor manufacturing.  It can be used to produce a protective polyethylene layer or to replenish carbon in the dielectric layers of the chip which may have been damaged during etch processes.

Download Spec PDF
Download SDS PDF
Applications
Specifications
Further Specifications
Cylinder Sizes
  • Polymerization: polyethylene is the world’s more widely used plastic
  • Oxidation: ethylene is oxidized to produce ethylene oxide, a key raw material in the production of surfactants and detergent by ethoxylation
  • Halogenation and hydrohalogenation
  • Alkylation: major chemical intermediates from the alkylation with ethylene is ethylbenzene
  • Hydration: it is the major nonfermentative precursor to ethanol
  • Oligomerization
  • Hydroformylation: hydroformylation of ethylene results in propionaldehyde
Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 4.5 Grade 5 Grade 5.5
Purity 99.9% 99.99% 99.995% 99.999% 99.9995%
Nitrogen < 100 ppmv < 5 ppmv < 5 ppmv < 2 ppmv < 1 ppmv
Oxygen < 20 ppmv < 2 ppmv < 2 ppmv < 2 ppmv < 1 ppmv
Carbon Dioxide < 10 ppmv < 5 ppmv < 5 ppmv < 2 ppmv < 1 ppmv
Carbon Monoxide < 3 ppmv < 2 ppmv < 2 ppmv < 2 ppmv < 1 ppmv
Other Hydrocarbons < 800 ppmv < 80 ppmv < 40 ppmv < 8 ppmv < 4 ppmv
Acetylene < 8 ppmv < 4 ppmv < 4 ppmv < 2 ppmv < 1 ppmv
Moisture < 5 ppmv < 5 ppmv < 5 ppmv < 3 ppmv < 1 ppmv
Total Impurities < 1000 ppmv < 100 ppmv < 50 ppmv < 10 ppmv < 5 ppmv
Technical Data
Mol. Wt: 28.054
Sp. Volume 13.8 cu. ft/lb
Flammability Limits 2.7 - 36 % in Air
Valve Outlet: CGA 250 LB CGA 170
Shipping Information
DOT Name: Ethylene, Compressed
Hazard Class 2.1
DOT No.: UN 1962
DOT Label Flammable Gas
CAS No.: 74-85-1
Cylinder Size Fill Weight (lb)
49L/Size 300 37
44L/Size 200 30
16L/Size 80 11
7L/Size 35 4

Other Categories & Industries