Ethylene
Ethylene forms part of many important products in everyday life. This includes plastic materials used in bike helmets, airbags in cars and packaging for
transporting and preserving food. It is also used for electronic components in computers, phones and microwaves. In construction ethylene forms part of paints, linings, adhesives, glues and insulation.
Ethylene is a major natural plant hormone that influences diverse processes in a plant’s life cycle.1 These include seed germination, shoot and root growth, flowering, sex determination, dropping of leaves and ripening of fruits.
Plant responses to ethylene include flowering, color change and fruit ripening to reduce damage and waste. Ethylene is widely used to support freshness in horticulture.
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Ethylene is a colourless flammable gas. It is commonly made from the ethane found in natural gas.
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- plastic packaging
- rubber tyres and footwear
- fruit ripening
- detergents
- automotive antifreeze
- synthetic lubricants
- welding gas
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Ethylene is made by steam cracking ethane from natural gas, where natural gas and water are heated together.
