ethane

/'eθein/

Thân thiện

Ethane is used as a fuel for heating homes.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A colorless, odorless alkane gas used as fuel: Ethane is a hydrocarbon compound (C₂H₆) that is a gaseous component of natural gas and petroleum, used primarily as a fuel and as a feedstock for producing ethylene.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ethane is often separated from natural gas for industrial use.
  • The plant uses ethane as a primary feedstock for plastic production.
  • When burned, ethane produces heat, carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

Advanced Usage

• Chemical Context: In chemistry, "ethane" specifically refers to the saturated hydrocarbon with the molecular formula C₂H₆. It is the second member of the alkane series (after methane).
  • The simplest reaction of ethane is combustion, but it can also undergo cracking to form ethylene.

Variants and Related Words

• Ethyl (adj): Pertaining to or containing the ethyl group (C₂H₅-), which is derived from ethane.
  • Ethyl alcohol is commonly known as ethanol.
• Ethylene (n): An important industrial chemical (C₂H₄) often produced by dehydrogenating or cracking ethane.

Synonyms

• Dimethyl (in specific chemical nomenclature contexts, though not a direct synonym in common usage).
• Alkane gas (a broader category to which ethane belongs).

Related Phrases and Compounds

• Ethane cracker: An industrial facility that processes ethane to produce ethylene.
  • The new ethane cracker will significantly increase the region's petrochemical output.
• Ethane fraction: The portion of natural gas or petroleum that consists of ethane.
  • The natural gas stream is cooled to separate the ethane fraction.

Related Idioms

(There are no common idioms specifically featuring the word "ethane" due to its technical nature.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. a colorless odorless alkane gas used as fuel

Từ đồng nghĩa

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