Properties

General
Name	Ethane
Chemical formula	CH3CH3 or C2H6
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
ΔfusH	0.583 kJ/mol
ΔfusS	6.46 J/mol·K
ΔvapH	10 kJ/mol
Solubility	4.7 ml/100 ml water
Liquid properties
ΔfH0liquid	? kJ/mol
S0liquid	126.7 J/mol·K
Cp	68 J/mol·K
Density	0.548 ×103 kg/m3
Gas properties
ΔfH0gas	-83.8 kJ/mol
S0gas	? J/mol·K
Cp	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 by cracking.

In an industrial scale, ethane is produced from natural gas and from petroleum refining. Chemical synthesis can be achieved by Kolbe electrolysis.