What Is Ethylene?

Ethylene is a compound composed of two carbon atoms and four hydrogen atoms. Two carbon atoms are connected by a double bond. Ethylene is present in certain tissues and organs of plants and is converted from methionine under sufficient oxygen supply.

Ethylene is made up of two carbon atoms and four

In ancient China, it was discovered that placing fruits in the house of burning incense can promote the ripening of the picked fruits. In the 19th century, the Germans found that the leaves next to leaking gas pipes easily fell off. The first to discover that plant material can produce a gas and have an effect on neighboring plants is Kazens, who found that the gas produced by oranges can ripen bananas mixed with it. It wasn't until 1934 that Gane first proved that plant tissue did produce ethylene. With the application of gas chromatography technology, many achievements have been made in the research of ethylene biochemistry and physiology, and it has been proved that ethylene can be produced in various parts of higher plants. In 1966, ethylene was officially identified as a plant hormone. ^[3]

With the rapid development of China's economy, the living standard of the middle class has been greatly improved, and China's demand for ethylene derivatives market terminal products is growing rapidly; India's market demand is also growing simultaneously, but the base is relatively small. In 2010, Northeast Asia will become the world's largest ethylene demand region, accounting for 35% of the global ethylene market demand; it is expected that China's ethylene demand will account for 36% of world total demand in 2014.

Data show that although China's ethylene industry is developing rapidly and holds a significant position in the world ethylene market, there are still some unavoidable risks.

First, market competition risks. Middle Eastern ethylene companies mainly use ethane as a raw material to produce ethylene. The cost of ethane in this region is very low. Even with freight, the cost is much lower than that in the United States, Western Europe and the rest of the world, including China, and it is quite competitive. The influx of cheap Middle East ethylene downstream products, such as polyethylene and ethylene glycol, into the Asia-Pacific and Chinese markets is bound to pose a serious threat to related products in the Chinese market.

Second, environmental protection risks. There is a certain degree of environmental pollution in the production process of the ethylene industry, but under today's environmental protection technology, the production of ethylene will cause a certain degree of pollution to the atmosphere and water bodies. As new projects are put into production one after another and the Chinese government has introduced stricter environmental protection standards in the future, it will place higher requirements on the environmental protection work of ethylene companies, and there is a risk that companies will increase their operating costs due to increased environmental protection management costs.

There is also the risk of oil imports. The massive construction of ethylene plants has also increased the demand for chemical oils. Just as China faces the constraints of oil shortage, the domestic development of the petrochemical industry also faces the contradiction of resource constraints. The domestic crude oil output has been around 200 million tons, which is far lower than the growth rate of oil demand. With the development of the ethylene industry in the future, the contradiction of shortage of chemical oil will also become increasingly prominent.

Detection

On-site monitoring: portable gas chromatography; gas detection tube method; gas rapid test tube

Laboratory: Gas Chromatography "Determination of Hazardous Substances in the Air" (Second Edition), 5 Environmental Standards, edited by Hang Shiping. ^[4]

Precautions

Precautions for operation: closed operation and full ventilation. Operators must be specially trained and strictly abide by the operating procedures. It is recommended that operators wear antistatic work clothes. Away from fire and heat sources, smoking is strictly prohibited in the workplace. Use explosion-proof ventilation systems and equipment. Prevent gas from leaking into the workplace air. Avoid contact with oxidants and halogens. During transfer, cylinders and containers must be grounded and bridged to prevent static electricity. Lightly load and unload during transportation to prevent damage to cylinders and accessories. Equipped with the corresponding variety and quantity of fire fighting equipment and leakage emergency treatment equipment.

Storage precautions: Store in a cool, ventilated warehouse. Keep away from fire and heat sources. The storage temperature should not exceed 30 . It should be stored separately from oxidants and halogens. Use explosion-proof lighting and ventilation facilities. Prohibit the use of spark-prone machinery and tools. The storage area should be equipped with emergency response equipment. ^[12]