Editing Ethane (section)

==Chemistry==
The reactions of ethane involve chiefly [[free radical reaction]]s. Ethane can react with the [[halogen]]s, especially [[chlorine]] and [[bromine]], by [[free-radical halogenation]]. This reaction proceeds through the propagation of the [[ethyl group|ethyl]] radical:<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1002/14356007.o06_o01 |chapter=Chlorethanes and Chloroethylenes |title=Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry |date=2011 |last1=Dreher |first1=Eberhard-Ludwig |last2=Torkelson |first2=Theodore R. |last3=Beutel |first3=Klaus K. |isbn=978-3-527-30385-4 }}</ref>
: Cl<sub>2</sub> &nbsp;→&nbsp;  2 Cl•
: C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub>• + Cl• &nbsp;→&nbsp; C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>• + HCl
: C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>• + Cl<sub>2</sub> &nbsp;→&nbsp; C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>Cl + Cl•
: Cl• + C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub> &nbsp;→&nbsp; C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>5</sub>• + HCl

The [[combustion]] of ethane releases 1559.7 kJ/mol, or 51.9 kJ/g, of heat, and produces [[carbon dioxide]] and [[water]] according to the [[chemical equation]]:
: 2 C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>6</sub> + 7 [[oxygen|O<sub>2</sub>]] &nbsp;→&nbsp; 4 [[carbon dioxide|CO<sub>2</sub>]] + 6 [[water|H<sub>2</sub>O]] + 3120 kJ

Combustion may also occur without an excess of oxygen, yielding [[carbon monoxide]], [[acetaldehyde]], [[methane]], [[methanol]], and [[ethanol]]. At higher temperatures, especially in the range {{cvt|600|-|900|°C|F}}, [[ethylene]] is a significant product:
: {{chem2|2 C2H6 + O2 → 2 C2H4  +  2 H2O}}
Such oxidative dehydrogenation reactions are relevant to the production of [[ethylene]].<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1039/D0CS01518K |title=Oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane: Catalytic and mechanistic aspects and future trends |date=2021 |last1=Najari |first1=Sara |last2=Saeidi |first2=Samrand |last3=Concepcion |first3=Patricia |last4=Dionysiou |first4=Dionysios D. |last5=Bhargava |first5=Suresh K. |last6=Lee |first6=Adam F. |last7=Wilson |first7=Karen |journal=Chemical Society Reviews |volume=50 |issue=7 |pages=4564–4605 |pmid=33595011 |s2cid=231946397 }}</ref>