Ethane
Ethane is a simple saturated hydrocarbon belonging to the alkane series, composed of two carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms (C₂H₆). It is chemically stable, colorless, and odorless under most conditions, and serves as a major intermediate in both natural and synthetic organic processes. In the Continuum Universes, ethane is abundant in **cryogenic hydrocarbon environments**, notably in the Methal-Nitric Atmosphere class, where it condenses into vast surface lakes and subsurface channels.
Chemical and Physical Properties
Ethane is nonpolar and relatively inert, exhibiting weak van der Waals interactions that allow it to remain gaseous under standard terrestrial conditions. When cooled below 184.5 K, it condenses into a clear, mobile cryogenic liquid — one of the key solvents for organic chemistry in low-temperature worlds.
It burns in oxygen with a clean, blue flame:
- 2 C₂H₆ + 7 O₂ → 4 CO₂ + 6 H₂O
producing carbon dioxide and water vapor without soot formation.
Under ultraviolet irradiation, however, ethane undergoes slow photochemical decomposition, generating Methane, Ethylene, and trace Acetylene.
Behavior in Atmospheric Systems
- **Phase State:** Gas in most atmospheres; liquid under cryogenic conditions (≈90–130 K).
- **Photochemistry:** Contributes to tholin formation when mixed with Methane and Nitrogen Dioxide.
- **Solubility:** Immiscible with water but soluble in other hydrocarbons.
- **Combustion:** Highly exothermic, stable flame profile, used as reference fuel in combustion modeling.
In the Continuum’s outer-system worlds such as Tholum-VI and Karthan, ethane condenses into shallow lakes, forming a slow, reflective hydrosphere beneath the orange haze of Methal-Nitric Atmosphere skies.
Cryogenic Hydrology
Liquid ethane behaves analogously to water on temperate planets — it can flow, erode, and freeze — but with entirely different chemistry. The “rivers” of Karthan are ethane streams carving channels through frozen tholin deposits, while seasonal storms rain mixed Methane–Ethane droplets that collect into polar basins.
These cryogenic hydrospheres allow for the **slow assembly of complex hydrocarbons**, an essential process in abiogenic molecular evolution. Some Continuum xenobiologists hypothesize that **ethane-based life** could emerge under psionically charged conditions where carbon bonds act as quantum information carriers.
Industrial and Scientific Use
In Continuum research facilities, ethane is employed as:
- a **cryogenic solvent** for organic and psionic material synthesis,
- a **reference gas** in hydrocarbon spectroscopy, and
- a **fuel precursor** for deep-atmosphere aerostats and energy cells.
Its low freezing point and moderate energy density make it ideal for hybrid chemical–psionic reactors operating under subthermal conditions.
Safety and Handling
- **Flammable Range:** 3–12% in air.
- **Explosive Potential:** Moderate; less sensitive than Acetylene.
- **Toxicity:** Minimal; acts primarily as an asphyxiant in enclosed spaces.
- **Storage:** Contained under mild pressure; liquefies easily with refrigeration.