Catalytic generators are used to produce ethylene gas simply and safely.
The accelerator is the ethylene gas given off by the fruit.
Under very low light in an overheated room, chrysanthemums can produce ethylene gas.
When the plant reaches the surface the ethylene gas can escape as normal and the rapid growth stops.
Rather than ripening naturally, they are turned red with ethylene gas.
Once picked they no longer turn yellow on their own, and need to be gassed with ethylene gas to start up ripening again.
Without an additive, the reaction product is 2,3-dihydrofuran and not the expected 2,5-dihydrofuran (together with the formation of ethylene gas).
Just before the explosion, several other workers also saw a leak from a pump that keeps ethylene gas under pressure.
These are often treated with ethylene gas to turn the color pink.
This is made by adding water to ethylene gas, which itself is obtained from oil.