The temperature dependence of the rate constant for the reaction F + C2H6 has been determined by a competitive method using the F + CH4 reaction as a reference reaction. Ratios of rate constants k(F+C2H6)/k(F+CH4) were determined by a discharge-flow-mass spectrometric technique at four temperatures in the range 189-298 K. These ratios were combined with values of k(F+CH4) from an earlier study to obtain absolute values for k(F+C2H6). The Arrhenius expression calculated from the results is k(F+C2H6) = (1.95 +/- 0.25) x 10(-10) exp[-(180 +/- 70)/T] cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1). The present results are compared with previous published results. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.