Product Overview

Ethane and Ethane calibration gas is the second simplest alkane, a colorless, odorless, flammable gas primarily recovered from natural gas and petroleum refining streams. While it is a valuable component of pipeline natural gas, its principal industrial significance lies in its role as the most efficient and selective feedstock for producing ethylene via steam cracking. As the preferred raw material for the world's largest chemical building block, high-purity ethane is a critical strategic commodity in the petrochemical industry. The secure and economical supply of ethane directly drives the global production of plastics, fibers, and countless other derivative products.

Basic Information

CAS No.	74-84-0
UN No.	UN1035 (Ethane, compressed) or UN1961 (Ethane, refrigerated liquid)
Molecular Formula	C₂H₆
Hazard Classification	2.1 (Flammable gas)

Key Attributes & Parameters

Purity	"Ethane-rich" or "rejection" streams typically range from 70-95% ethane. For dedicated ethylene crackers, high-purity ethane feedstock often exceeds 90-95%, with methane and propane as main impurities.
Physical State	Colorless, odorless gas; can be liquefied under pressure or at low temperatures (-88.6°C) for transport and storage.
Boiling Point	-88.6 °C (-127.5 °F) at atmospheric pressure.
Autoignition Temperature	515 °C (959 °F)
Vapor Density	1.05 (slightly heavier than air).
Critical Properties	Critical temperature

Features & Advantages

Superior Ethylene Feedstock

Steam cracking of ethane yields the highest selectivity to ethylene (typically 75-85%) among all common feedstocks (naphtha, LPG), resulting in simpler separation, lower energy consumption, and higher plant capacity for ethylene.

Abundant and Economic Supply

The rise of shale gas production, particularly in North America, has unlocked vast, cost-advantaged supplies of ethane, making it the most economical route to ethylene in several regions.

Simplified Cracking and Processing

Cracking ethane produces a cleaner product slate (primarily ethylene and hydrogen) with fewer by-products like propylene, C4s, and pyrolysis gasoline compared to heavier feedstocks, simplifying downstream separation.

Foundation for Derivative Chains

As the dominant source of ethylene, ethane indirectly underpins the entire polyethylene value chain and other key ethylene derivatives.

Functional Characteristics

The main industrial use of ethane is as a feedstock for thermal cracking (steam cracking). In the presence of steam, ethane's C-C and C-H bonds break at extremely high temperatures (800-900°C), primarily producing ethylene (C₂H₄) and hydrogen (H₂). This endothermic reaction is the cornerstone of olefin production. Ethane is typically separated from natural gas or refinery gas streams through cryogenic distillation and is often transported to cracking plants as a refrigerated liquid via specialized carriers (Very Large Ethane Carriers - VLECs) or pipelines.

Primary Application Fields

Ethylene Production (Primary Use)

Over 90% of global ethane is cracked to produce ethylene, the world's most important organic chemical.

Ethylene Derivatives

Through ethylene, ethane indirectly becomes a raw material for polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE), ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol, ethylbenzene/styrene, and vinyl chloride.

Refinery Fuel Gas

Can be used as a component of refinery fuel gas.

Other Chemical Uses

Ethane calibration gas is used in the production of chloroethane (via chlorination reaction) and as a refrigerant (R170) in some cryogenic mixture applications.

Calibration and Research

Used as a calibration standard and for scientific research.

Customer Collaboration Case

A major petrochemical company on the U.S. Gulf Coast was constructing a world-scale, ethane-flexible cracker designed to maximize ethane feedstock for its superior ethylene yield. Their success depended on securing a long-term, reliable, and competitively priced supply of ethane. We entered into a 15-year supply agreement, dedicating a substantial portion of our natural gas processing capacity to extract high-purity ethane. We built a new fractionation train and a dedicated pipeline to deliver a consistent stream of specification ethane directly to their cracker complex. The guaranteed supply of our ethane feedstock allowed the customer to optimize their cracker operations exclusively for ethane, achieving record-breaking ethylene yields exceeding 82% and establishing them as one of the lowest-cost ethylene producers globally. This partnership secured their feedstock for decades and enabled significant capital investment in downstream polyethylene units, demonstrating the transformative impact of integrated ethane supply chains on modern petrochemical competitiveness.

FAQ

Q: What are the differences between Full Container Load (FCL) and Less Container Load (LCL) for the export of chemical products by sea? How to choose?

A: Full Container Load: Suitable for large quantities of goods (≥ 20GP), independently packed, with high loading and unloading efficiency and low risk of cargo damage, but the cost is higher; Less Container Load: Suitable for small quantities of goods (< 10GP), transported in the same container with other customers' goods, with lower cost, but it is necessary to pay attention to the compatibility of the goods (avoid mixing dangerous goods), and there are more loading and unloading steps. Recommendation: For single batch quantities ≥ 15 tons, choose Full Container Load; for quantities < 5 tons, choose Less Container Load; for hazardous items, select Full Container Load.

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