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ETHYLENE, or ETHENE, C2H4

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Originally appearing in Volume V09, Page 851 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ETHYLENE, or ETHENE, C2H4 , or See also:H2C:See also:CH2, the first representative of the See also:series of See also:olefine See also:hydrocarbons, is found in See also:coal See also:gas. It is usually prepared by See also:heating a mixture of See also:ethyl See also:alcohol and sulphuric See also:acid. G. S. Newth (Jour. Chen. See also:Soc., 1901, 79, p. 915) obtains a purer product by dropping ethyl alcohol into syrupy phosphoric acid (sp. gr. 1.75) warmed to 200° C., subsequently raising the temperature to 220° C. It can also be obtained by the See also:action of See also:sodium on ethylidene chloride (B. Tollens, See also:Ann., 1866, 137, p. 311); by the reduction of See also:copper acetylide with See also:zinc dust and See also:ammonia; by heating ethyl bromide with an alcoholic See also:solution of See also:caustic potash; by passing a mixture of See also:carbon bisulphide and sulphuretted See also:hydrogen over red-hot copper; and by the See also:electrolysis of a concentrated solution of See also:potassium succinate, (CH2.

CO2K) 2+2H20 = C2H4+2CO2+2KOH +H2. It is a colourless gas of somewhat sweetish See also:

taste; it is slightly soluble in See also:water, but more so in alcohol and See also:ether. It can be liquefied at-1.1° C., under a pressure of 42i atmos, It solidifies at-181° C. and melts at-169° C. (K. Olszewski); it boils at -105° C. (L. P. Cailletet), or-102° to-103° C. (K. Olszewski). Its See also:critical temperature is 13° C., and its specific gravity is o•9784 (See also:air =1). The specific gravity of liquid ethylene is o•386 (3° C.).

Ethylene See also:

burns with a See also:bright luminous See also:flame, and forms a very explosive mixture with See also:oxygen. For the See also:combustion of ethylene see FLAME. On strong heating it decomposes, giving, among other products, carbon, methane and See also:acetylene (M. See also:Berthelot, Ann., 1866, 139, p. 277).

End of Article: ETHYLENE, or ETHENE, C2H4

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ETHYL CHLORIDE, or HYDROCHLORIC ETHER, C2H5C1 		[next]
ETIENNE, CHARLES GUILLAUME (1778-1845)

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