# Variable: CATENATION

[**lifecycle-kit**](https://jonbogaty.com/lifecycle-kit/api/readme/index.md)

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[lifecycle-kit](https://jonbogaty.com/lifecycle-kit/api/readme/index.md) / [chem](https://jonbogaty.com/lifecycle-kit/api/chem/readme/index.md) / CATENATION


# Variable: CATENATION {#variable-catenation}


> `const` **CATENATION**: `Record`\<`string`, `number`\>

Defined in: [chem/elements.ts:55](https://github.com/jbcom/lifecycle-kit/blob/074e4e7b8038d3e2de9eb44c4b5b5aee0ef02b48/src/chem/elements.ts#L55)

Self-bond (catenation) energy, kJ/mol.

Life needs an element that will bond to ITSELF into long stable chains.
Carbon does this at 346 kJ/mol; silicon manages only 226. This is one of the
two reasons carbon-based life is likely rather than assumed — a world is
scored on it, not handed a verdict.

Note this is strictly about how much heat a chain survives. Silicon chains
ALSO hydrolyse, which is a separate effect with a separate table below;
conflating the two hides the fact that only one of them depends on water.

Values from the ported periodic table's bondEnergies.