ethane

Etymology

eth- + -ane

noun

1. (organic chemistry, uncountable) An aliphatic hydrocarbon, C₂H₆, gaseous at normal temperatures and pressures, being a constituent of natural gas.
2. (organic chemistry, countable) The same compound, subjected to modification by replacing one or more of the hydrogen atoms with other radicals.
   chlorinated ethanes; halogenated ethanes
   The dissociation constants for ethanes in which the two halves of the molecule are different are not always close to the mean of the dissociation constants of the corresponding symmetrical ethanes. 1959, A. F. Trotman-Dickenson, Free Radicals: An Introduction, page 45
   Analysis of the ethane fraction also revealed anomalous deuteration of the ethane, the ethanes C₂H₅D, C₂H₄D₂ and C₂H₃D₃ being observed as well as C₂H₆. Ethanes with more than three D atoms were not detected. 1968, Transactions of the Faraday Society, volume 64, page 1573