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Consider the first triangular diagram below, which shows all possible mixtures of methane, oxygen and nitrogen. Air is a mixture of about 21 volume percent oxygen, and 79 volume percent inerts (nitrogen). Any mixture of methane and air will therefore lie on the straight line between pure methane and pure air – this is shown as the blue air-line.
Methane (US: / ˈ m ɛ θ eɪ n / METH-ayn, UK: / ˈ m iː θ eɪ n / MEE-thayn) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CH 4 (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas.
Crude oil is processed in several stages to form desired hydrocarbons, used as fuel and in other products. Tank wagon 33 80 7920 362–0 with hydrocarbon gas at Bahnhof Enns (2018) The predominant use of hydrocarbons is as a combustible fuel source. Methane is the predominant component of natural gas.
Fuel gas is contrasted with liquid fuels and solid fuels, although some fuel gases are liquefied for storage or transport (for example, autogas and liquified petroleum gas). While their gaseous nature has advantages, avoiding the difficulty of transporting solid fuel and the dangers of spillage inherent in liquid fuels, it also has limitations.
Liquid oxygen has a clear cyan color and is strongly paramagnetic: it can be suspended between the poles of a powerful horseshoe magnet. [2] Liquid oxygen has a density of 1.141 kg/L (1.141 g/ml), slightly denser than liquid water, and is cryogenic with a freezing point of 54.36 K (−218.79 °C; −361.82 °F) and a boiling point of 90.19 K (−182.96 °C; −297.33 °F) at 1 bar (14.5 psi).
Using liquid methane and liquid oxygen as propellants is sometimes called methalox propulsion. [19] Liquid methane has a lower specific impulse than liquid hydrogen, but is easier to store due to its higher boiling point and density, as well as its lack of hydrogen embrittlement. It also leaves less residue in the engines compared to kerosene ...
Natural gas, composed chiefly of methane, can only exist as a liquid at very low temperatures (regardless of pressure), which limits its direct use as a liquid fuel in most applications. LP gas is a mixture of propane and butane , both of which are easily compressible gases under standard atmospheric conditions.
Alkanes have a low solubility in water, so the content in the oceans is negligible; however, at high pressures and low temperatures (such as at the bottom of the oceans), methane can co-crystallize with water to form a solid methane clathrate (methane hydrate). Although this cannot be commercially exploited at the present time, the amount of ...