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usually uncountable, plural ethanes
(organic chemistry, uncountable) An aliphatic hydrocarbon, C2H6, gaseous at normal temperatures and pressures, being a constituent of natural gas. examples
(organic chemistry, countable) The same compound, subjected to modification by replacing one or more of the hydrogen atoms with other radicals. quotations examples
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