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Ethane
Ethane
Natural gas is made mostly of methane, but the second most abundant compound is called ethane. It's odorless, colorless, and extremely flammable. In its pure form, ethane is used in cryogenic refrigerators. It's also used in laboratories to flash freeze samples that scientists can study under powerful electron microscopes.


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Last updated December 07 2010: 12:27 PM ET
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