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ethene
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Ethene
, propene (CH<sub>3</sub>CH=CH<sub>2</sub>), and butene (C<sub>4</sub>H<sub>8</sub>). Alkenes all have the general formula C<sub><i>n</i></sub>H<sub>2<i>n</i></sub>.', copy:'(Image © RM)'});)
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Colourless, flammable gas, the first member of the alkene series of hydrocarbons. It is the most widely used synthetic organic chemical and is used to produce the plastics polythene (polyethylene), polychloroethene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). It is obtained from natural gas or coal gas, or by the dehydration of ethanol.
Ethene is produced during plant metabolism and is classified as a plant hormone. It is important in the ripening of fruit and in abscission. Small amounts of ethene are often added to the air surrounding fruit to artificially promote ripening. Tomato and marigold plants show distorted growth in concentrations as low as 0.01 parts per million. Plants also release ethene when they are under stress. German physicists invented a device in 1997 that measures stress levels in plants by measuring surrounding ethene levels.
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addition polymerization
addition reaction
alkane
alkene
bitumen
butane
carbon
coal
condensation (chemistry)
covalent bond
cracking
crude oil
ethane
ethene
fossil fuel
fractional distillation
fractionating column
fuel
homologous series
hydrocarbon
isomer
kerosene
methane
monomer
natural gas
oil refinery
organic chemistry
paraffin
petrol
petroleum
plastic (chemistry)
polyethylene
polymer
polymerization
polystyrene
polythene
polyvinyl chloride
propane
PVC
saturated compound
unsaturated compound
addition reaction
alkane
alkene
bitumen
butane
carbon
coal
condensation (chemistry)
covalent bond
cracking
crude oil
ethane
ethene
fossil fuel
fractional distillation
fractionating column
fuel
homologous series
hydrocarbon
isomer
kerosene
methane
monomer
natural gas
oil refinery
organic chemistry
paraffin
petrol
petroleum
plastic (chemistry)
polyethylene
polymer
polymerization
polystyrene
polythene
polyvinyl chloride
propane
PVC
saturated compound
unsaturated compound
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