Ethylene (C2H4) is a colorless, flammable gas that is widely used in the chemical industry and is commonly produced worldwide. More than half of all ethylene produced is used to make polyethylene, the world’s most commonly used plastic. It also is used as a starting material for many compounds such as industrial ethanol, acetic acid, and styrene for use in the production of other plastics and in synthetic rubber.
Ethylene is commonly produced by steam cracking a wide range of hydrocarbon feedstocks such as ethane and propane. Steam cracking involves diluting a hydrocarbon with steam and heating it in an anaerobic atmosphere to break large hydrocarbons into smaller ones. The mixture is then compressed and distilled to remove the ethylene from other byproducts.
Being able to measure the oxygen content of the final gas produced is important to determine if there are any leaks in your system allowing air ingress, and to ensure your ethylene is up to the quality you desire. Our analyzers range from the 19” rack mount OMD-675, to the compact OMD-507 or portable OMD-580 to fit all stages of gas generation. Since ethylene is a flammable gas, hazardous area classification is sometimes required for analytical equipment, so we also offer our OMD-625 and OMD-690 which are designed to class 1, division 1, and class 1, division 2 hazardous area specifications, respectively.
