Ethene

Ethene (C₂H₄), the simplest alkene, is a colorless, flammable gas with a slightly sweet smell. As a fundamental building block in the chemical industry, its primary use is in the production of polyethylene, one of the most common plastics in the world, found in everything from packaging films to squeeze bottles. Beyond plastics, ethene is a starting material for industrial alcohol (ethanol), antifreeze (ethylene glycol), and vinyl chloride, which is used to make PVC. Interestingly, ethene is also a natural plant hormone that plays a crucial role in promoting fruit ripening, leaf fall, and flower opening.

Explore searchable catalogue of hundreds of molecules, including details on how models were generated.

Notes

• If you happen to break something, use superglue to fix it. It will make the broken part even stronger.
• I decided to go with the ball-and-stick type, as it is easiest to color, is rigid, and looks awesome.
• The model represents the major resonance contributor.
• I oriented the model for optimal strength/waste/time compromise, but if you decide to reorient it, try to avoid placing bonds along the Z-axis, as they will be very easy to break.
• Supports removable without too much worry of damaging model if you are careful with scalpel and do of paper-sanding afterwards.
• You can use PETG as support material (don't forget to set the heatbed to 70 °C!) and PLA for the model itself (the support then come off much easier). For extra swag, use PLA support filament or PVA as supports.
• Recommended colorization is based on the Corey–Pauling–Koltun (CPK) palette (Figure 1). To quickly change atom colors, use the settings depicted in Figure 2.
  Alternatively, if you want to save filament and time, print the model in full-white and paint it with a permanent marker.

Figure 1. Recommended palette based on CPK coloring.

Figure 2. Setting to quickly color atoms with one click.

Figure 3. Filament flushing page.

Happy printing!