CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
| Physical Description | Ethylene appears as a colorless gas with a sweet odor and taste. It is lighter than air. It is easily ignited and a flame can easily flash back to the source of the leak. Under prolonged exposure to fire or heat the containers may rupture violently and rocket. Can cause explosion. |
|---|---|
| Color/Form | Colorless gas |
| Odor | Sweet |
| Taste | Tasteless |
| Boiling Point | -154.7 °F at 760 mmHg (USCG, 1999) |
| Melting Point | -272.4 °F (USCG, 1999) |
| Flash Point | -213 °F (approx.) (USCG, 1999) |
| Solubility | In water, 131 mg/L at 25 °C |
| Density | 0.569 at -154.84 °F (USCG, 1999) - Less dense than water; will float |
| Vapor Density | 0.98 (Air = 1) |
| Vapor Pressure | Vapor pressure 4,040 kPa (-1.5 °C) |
| LogP | log Kow = 1.13 |
| Henry's Law Constant | Henry's Law constant = 0.228 atm-cu m/mole at 25 °C |
| Stability/Shelf Life | Stable under recommended storage conditions. |
| Autoignition Temperature | 842 °F (USCG, 1999) |
| Decomposition | Hazardous decomposition products formed under fire conditions: Carbon oxides. |
| Viscosity | 0.01 mPa.s 20 °C |
| Corrosivity | Ethylene is a noncorrosive gas. |
| Heat of Combustion | -1411.2 kJ/mol (gas) |
| Heat of Vaporization | 13.53 kJ/mol at -103.77 °C |
| Surface Tension | 16 dynes/cm = 0.016 N/m at -104 °C |
| Polymerization | Hazardous polymerization may occur. |
| Odor Threshold | Odor Threshold Low: 17.0 [ppm] Odor Threshold High: 959.0 [ppm] [ACGIH] Detection odor threshold from AIHA (mean = 270 ppm) |
| Refractive Index | Index of refraction: 1.363 at -100 °C/D |
| Kovats Retention Index | 178.1 164 166 158 178 166 166 165 165 165 165 165 188 |
| Other Experimental Properties | Monoclinic prisms when it solidifies at -181 °C |
| Chemical Classes | Toxic Gases & Vapors -> Simple Asphyxiants |
SAFETY INFORMATION
| Signal word | Danger |
|---|---|
| Pictogram(s) |
 Flame Flammables GHS02  Gas Cylinder Compressed Gases GHS04  Exclamation Mark Irritant GHS07 |
| GHS Hazard Statements |
H220:Flammable gases H280:Gases under pressure H336:Specific target organ toxicity,single exposure; Narcotic effects |
| Precautionary Statement Codes |
P261:Avoid breathing dust/fume/gas/mist/vapours/spray. P271:Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. P405:Store locked up. P403+P233:Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed. P410+P403:Protect from sunlight. Store in a well-ventilated place. |
COMPUTED DESCRIPTORS
| Molecular Weight | 28.05 g/mol |
|---|---|
| XLogP3 | 1.2 |
| Hydrogen Bond Donor Count | 0 |
| Hydrogen Bond Acceptor Count | 0 |
| Rotatable Bond Count | 0 |
| Exact Mass | 28.0313001276 g/mol |
| Monoisotopic Mass | 28.0313001276 g/mol |
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 0 Ų |
| Heavy Atom Count | 2 |
| Formal Charge | 0 |
| Complexity | 0 |
| Isotope Atom Count | 0 |
| Defined Atom Stereocenter Count | 0 |
| Undefined Atom Stereocenter Count | 0 |
| Defined Bond Stereocenter Count | 0 |
| Undefined Bond Stereocenter Count | 0 |
| Covalently-Bonded Unit Count | 1 |
| Compound Is Canonicalized | Yes |
PRODUCT INTRODUCTION
description
Ethylene appears as a colorless gas with a sweet odor and taste. It is lighter than air. It is easily ignited and a flame can easily flash back to the source of the leak. Under prolonged exposure to fire or heat the containers may rupture violently and rocket. Can cause explosion.