Home > Ethylene oxide

**Properties**
General
Name	Epoxyethane

Chemical formula	C₂ H₄ O
Formula weight	44.05 amu
Synonyms	Ethylene oxide, dimethylene oxide, oxirane
CAS number	75-21-8
UN number	1040
Phase behavior
Melting point	161 K (-112.1 °C)
Boiling point	283.5 K (10.4°C)
Thermal decomposition	? K (?°C)
Triple point	160.6 K (-112.4°C) ? bar
Critical point	468.9 K (195.9°C) 72.3 bar
Δ_fusHHeat of fusion is the heat absorbed by a unit mass of a solid chemical element at its melting point in order to convert the solid into a liquid at the same temperature. The heat of fusion is equal to the heat of solidification. The energy that goes into m	5.17 kJ/mol
Δ_fusSThe Entropy of fusion of a substance represents the increase in the degree of disorder involved in the transition from an organized crystalline solid to the disorganized structure of a liquid. It is denoted as ΔS and normally expressed in J / mol ·	32.2 J/mol·K
Δ_vapHThe heat of vaporization is a physical property of substances. It is defined as the heat required to vaporize one mole of a substance at its boiling point under standard pressure (101325 Pa). The heat of vaporization is expressed in kJ/mol. The use of kJ/	25.5 kJ/mol
Solubility	Miscible with water.
Liquid properties
Δ_fH⁰_liquidThe standard enthalpy of formation of a compound is the change of enthalpy that accompanies the formation of 1 mole of that substance from its component elements, at their standard states (the most stable form of the element or compound at 25 degrees Cels	-96 kJThe joule (symbol J also called newton metre or coulomb volt is the SI unit of energy and work. The unit is pronounced to rhyme with "tool", and is named in honour of the physicist James Prescott Joule (1818-1889). 1 joule 1 N · 1 m 1 newton · 1 metre 1 k/ molThe mole (symbol: mol) is one of the seven SI base units and is commonly used in chemistry. It measures the amount of substance of a system and is defined as the amount of substance that contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in exactly 0
S⁰_liquidIn chemistry, the standard molar entropy is the entropy content of one mole of substance, under conditions of standard temperature and pressure. By comparing the entropies of products and reactants in a chemical reaction, we can determine whether the reac	149.45 J/mol·K
C_p	86.9 J/mol·K
Density	0.899 ×10³ kg/ m³
Gas properties
Δ_fH⁰_gas	-52.6 kJ/ mol
S⁰_gas	243 J/mol·K
C_p	47 J/mol·K
Safety
Acute effects	Lung irritation, convulsions.
Chronic effects	CNS damage. Potential carcinogen.
Flash point	-55°C
Autoignition temperature	429°C
Explosive limits	3-100%
More info
Properties	NIST WebBook
MSDS	Hazardous Chemical Database
SI units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, standard conditions were used. Disclaimer and references

Properties

General

Name

Epoxyethane

Chemical formula

C₂ H₄ O

Formula weight

44.05 amu

Synonyms

Ethylene oxide, dimethylene oxide, oxirane

CAS number

75-21-8

UN number

1040

Phase behavior

Melting point

161 K (-112.1 °C)

Boiling point

283.5 K (10.4°C)

Thermal decomposition

? K (?°C)

Triple point

160.6 K (-112.4°C)
? bar

Critical point

468.9 K (195.9°C)
72.3 bar

Δ_fusHHeat of fusion is the heat absorbed by a unit mass of a solid chemical element at its melting point in order to convert the solid into a liquid at the same temperature. The heat of fusion is equal to the heat of solidification. The energy that goes into m

5.17 kJ/mol

Δ_fusSThe Entropy of fusion of a substance represents the increase in the degree of disorder involved in the transition from an organized crystalline solid to the disorganized structure of a liquid. It is denoted as ΔS and normally expressed in J / mol ·

32.2 J/mol·K

Δ_vapHThe heat of vaporization is a physical property of substances. It is defined as the heat required to vaporize one mole of a substance at its boiling point under standard pressure (101325 Pa). The heat of vaporization is expressed in kJ/mol. The use of kJ/

25.5 kJ/mol

Solubility

Miscible with water.

Liquid properties

Δ_fH⁰_liquidThe standard enthalpy of formation of a compound is the change of enthalpy that accompanies the formation of 1 mole of that substance from its component elements, at their standard states (the most stable form of the element or compound at 25 degrees Cels

-96 kJThe joule (symbol J also called newton metre or coulomb volt is the SI unit of energy and work. The unit is pronounced to rhyme with "tool", and is named in honour of the physicist James Prescott Joule (1818-1889). 1 joule 1 N · 1 m 1 newton · 1 metre 1 k/ molThe mole (symbol: mol) is one of the seven SI base units and is commonly used in chemistry. It measures the amount of substance of a system and is defined as the amount of substance that contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in exactly 0

S⁰_liquidIn chemistry, the standard molar entropy is the entropy content of one mole of substance, under conditions of standard temperature and pressure. By comparing the entropies of products and reactants in a chemical reaction, we can determine whether the reac

149.45 J/mol·K

C_p

86.9 J/mol·K

Density

0.899 ×10³ kg/ m³

Gas properties

Δ_fH⁰_gas

-52.6 kJ/ mol

S⁰_gas

243 J/mol·K

C_p

47 J/mol·K

Safety

Acute effects

Lung irritation, convulsions.

Chronic effects

CNS damage. Potential carcinogen.

Flash point

-55°C

Autoignition temperature

429°C

Explosive limits

3-100%

More info

Properties

NIST WebBook

MSDS

Hazardous Chemical Database

SI units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, standard conditions were used.

Disclaimer and references

The chemical compound ethylene oxide is an important industrial chemical used as an intermediate in the production of ethylene glycol and other chemicals, and as a sterilant for foodstuffs and medical supplies. It is a colorless flammable gas or refrigerated liquid with a faintly sweet odor.

Its IUPAC name is 1,2-epoxyethane. Other names for it include oxirane and dimethylene oxide.

1 History

Ethylene oxide was first prepared in 1859 by the French chemist Charles Wurtz, who prepared it by treating 2-chloroethanol with a base. It achieved industrial importance during World War I as a precursor to both the coolant ethylene glycol and the chemical weapon mustard gas. In 1931, Theodore Lefort , another French chemist, discovered a means to prepare ethylene oxide directly from ethylene and oxygen, using silver as a catalyst. Since 1940, almost all ethylene oxide produced industrially has been made using this method.

2 Production

Industrially, ethylene oxide is produced when ethylene and oxygen react on a silver catalyst at 200-300°C. The chemical equation for this reaction is

CH₂=CH₂ + ½ O₂ → C₂H₄O

The typical yield for this reaction is 70-80%, the major side reaction being combustion of ethylene to produce carbon dioxide. Several methods to produce ethylene oxide more selectively have been proposed, but none have achieved industrial importance.

3 Uses

Ethylene oxide gas kills bacteria, mold, and fungi, and can therefore be used to sterilize substances that would be damaged by sterilizing techniques such as pasteurization that rely on heat. Ethylene oxide sterilization for the preservation of spices was patented in 1938 by the American chemist Lloyd Hall, and it is still used in that role. Additionally, ethylene oxide is widely used to sterilize medical supplies such as bandages, sutures, and surgical implements.

Most ethylene oxide, however, is used as an intermediate in the production of other chemicals. The major use of ethylene oxide is in the production of ethylene glycol, which is widely used as an automotive coolant and antifreeze, and is also used to produce polyester polymers.

Ethylene oxide itself can be polymerized to form polyethylene glycol or polyethylene oxide, which are useful as non-toxic, water-soluble polymers. Ethylene oxide is also important in the manufacture of surfactants and other detergents, in a process called ethoxylation.

One class of ethylene oxide derivatives that has attracted much scientific attention is the crown ethers, which are cyclic oligomers of ethylene oxide. These compounds have the ability to make ionic compounds such as salts soluble in nonpolar solvents which they otherwise could not dissolve in. However, the high cost of these compounds has largely confined their use to the laboratory rather than industrial practice.

4 Health effects

Ethylene oxide is toxic by inhalation. Symptoms of overexposure include headache and dizziness, progressing with increasing exposure to convulsions, seizure and coma. It is also an irritant to skin and the respiratory tract, and inhaling the vapors may cause the lungs to fill with fluid several hours after exposure.

Ethylene oxide is usually stored as a pressurized or refrigerated liquid. At room temperature and pressure, it rapidly evaporates, potentially causing frostbite in cases of skin exposure.

Laboratory animals exposed to ethylene oxide for their entire lives have had a higher incidence of liver cancer. However, studies on human beings who have worked with ethylene oxide for extended periods and may have experienced low doses during that time have found no increase in cancer risk. Chronic ethylene oxide exposure may increase the risk of cataracts in humans.

In animals, ethylene oxide can cause numerous reproductive effects, including mutations and a higher rate of miscarriages. Its reproductive effects on humans have not been well studied, but it is considered probable that ethylene oxide exposure has similar effects on human reproduction.

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Topics: Ethylene Oxide, History, Production, Uses, Health Effects...

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