Propane or methane. What is better for a car

You will learn a brief description of methane and where it is used in this article.

What is methane?

Methane is a gas that is organic in nature, without a distinct odor or color, with a mass less than that of air. It dissolves quite slowly in water.

Where is methane used?

* Internal combustion engines often operate on methane.

* Methane makes it possible to produce a large number of medications, including sleeping pills and antiseptics.

* Methane is the basis for methanol and formaldehyde, from which fertilizers are then produced.

* Without this element it is impossible to produce solvents and fire extinguishers.

* Hydrocyanic acid is produced based on the oxidation of methane and ammonia.

* In the process of gas combustion, soot is obtained, and in the process of catalytic oxidation, formaldehyde is obtained; in the process of interaction of methane with sulfur, carbon disulfide is obtained.

* Acetylene is obtained from methane.

Natural sources of methane:

• Farm livestock. The bacteria that live in their stomachs are capable of releasing methane during the life of animals. It accounts for about 20% of total atmospheric gas.
• Plants. Methane is released during plant photosynthesis.
• Insects. Termites are the most active in this regard.
• Mines. Under the surface of the earth, there is a constant, slow decomposition of rocks such as coal, after which methane is released.
• Oil wells. Oil contains a very large amount of methane.
• Volcanoes. Methane is released during the active decomposition of prehistoric organic matter.
• Ocean. Deep under the water there are cracks from which methane oozes.
• Forests burning.
• Industry. It accounts for a small part of methane emissions.

We hope that from this article you learned where methane is used and what are the sources of methane.

Methane is a natural gas whose density is incomparable to that of gasoline. Therefore, it is filled into high-pressure cylinders, compressing it to a couple of hundred atmospheres. Actually, these same cylinders are installed in cars.

Advantages of installing gas equipment on methane in a car

1) The octane number of methane is higher than that of 98-octane gasoline (110), and it costs three times less than it, and almost 2 times less than propane, which is the first plus in favor of this gas. The price of installing gas equipment on methane starts from 44,000 rubles. It all depends on the make of the car, the number of cylinders and the choice of the manufacturer of the installed equipment.

2) The second undoubted advantage of this fuel is its environmental friendliness. As a result of the combustion of this gas, water and carbon dioxide are obtained, which has a positive effect on the environment.

3) Cost-effectiveness, of course, most people install methane gas equipment on their cars for the sake of economy. And savings when using methane reach the following indicators:

The cost of methane today: 16.50 rubles/cube;

compared to gasoline, savings are 3.29 times;

compared to propane-butane 2.08 times;

You can see the prices for detailed calculations.

Disadvantages of gas equipment with methane

Where are they located?

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Photos showing the location of methane gas stations in Moscow

In water

2. Molecule structure

Molecular formula CH 4. Structural and electronic formulas:

N | N-S-N | H

3. Chemical properties

The first member of the homologous series of saturated (methane) hydrocarbons. Methane is a chemically inactive substance. Under normal conditions, it is quite resistant to acids, alkalis and oxidizing agents. So, when methane is passed through a solution of KMnO 4, which is a fairly strong oxidizing agent, it does not oxidize and the violet color of the solution does not disappear. Methane does not enter into an addition reaction (message), since in its molecule all four valences of the carbon atom are completely saturated. For methane, like other saturated hydrocarbons, substitution reactions are typical, in which hydrogen atoms are replaced by atoms of other elements or atomic groups. A reaction with chlorine that occurs at normal temperatures under the influence of scattered light is also characteristic of methane (an explosion can occur in direct sunlight). In this case, the hydrogen atoms in the methane molecule are successively replaced by chlorine atoms

• CH 4 + Cl 2 = CH 3 Cl + HCl
• CH 3 Cl + Cl 2 = CH 2 Cl 2 + HCl
• CH 2 Cl 2 + Cl 2 = CHCl 3 + HCl
• CHCl 3 + Cl 2 = CCl 4 + HCl

As a result of the reaction, a mixture of methane chlorides is formed.

In the air atmosphere, methane burns with a colorless flame and releases a significant amount of heat:

• CH 4 + 2O 2 = CO 2 + 2H 2 O

Methane forms a flammable explosive mixture with air. When methane is heated without air access to a temperature above 1000 C, it decomposes into elements - carbon (soot) and hydrogen:

• CH 4 = C + 2H 2

4. Distribution in nature

Methane is the main component:

• natural flammable gases (up to 99.5%),
• associated petroleum (39-91%),
• swamp (99%) and mine (34-48%) gases;
• present in gases of mud volcanoes (more than 95%),
• occurs sporadically in volcanic gases and in gases of igneous and metamorphic rocks.

A large amount of methane is dissolved in the waters of oceans, seas, and lakes. The average methane content in the waters of the World Ocean is about 10 -2 cm 3 / l, the total amount is 14.10 12 m 3. The amount of methane dissolved in formation waters is several orders of magnitude higher than its industrial reserves.

Methane is also present in the atmospheres of the Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus; in gases of the surface soil of the Moon. The bulk of methane in the Earth's summer and hydrosphere was formed during the biochemical and thermocatalytic destruction of dispersed organic matter, coal and oil. Methane is formed during the anaerobic decomposition of organic substances, in particular cellulose (methane fermentation).

In the nature of the Earth, methane is quite common. Combustible natural gases consist of 90-97% methane. It forms many deposits, from which it is extracted and supplied through gas pipelines to the place of use. At the bottom of swamps and ponds, methane is formed as a result of the decomposition of plant debris without access to air. That's why it is also called swamp gas. Under the name “mine gas,” methane accumulates in coal mines as a result of release from layers of coal and associated rocks, in which it is found in free and bound form. In operating mines, the release of methane from coal seams in a volume of up to 70-80 m/t s is observed. b. m. (ton s.b.m. - ton of dry ash-free mass), which makes it economically feasible independently or accompanying (degassing) extraction from coal deposits.

Firemine gas is very dangerous because it can form an explosive mixture with air. The most explosive concentrations of methane in the air are 9-14%.

At low temperatures, methane forms inclusion compounds - gas hydrates, which are widespread in nature.

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Energy bio-raw materials

Large quantities of methane are used as a convenient and cheap fuel. Incomplete combustion of methane produces soot, which is used for the production of printing ink and as a rubber filler, and thermal decomposition (above 1000 C) produces soot and hydrogen, which is used for the synthesis of ammonia. The product of complete chlorination of methane - carbon tetrachloride CCl 4 - is a good solvent for fats and is used to extract fats from grains of oilseeds. Methane also serves as a starting material for the production of acetylene, methyl alcohol and many other chemical products.

7. Methane as a factor in coal production

M forms explosive mixtures with air. When the content in the air is up to 5-6%, M. burns near a heat source (inflammation temperature is 650-750 C), at a content of 5-15.2 (16)% it explodes, over 16% it can burn with an influx of oxygen, a decrease in the concentration of M. is explosive. M. has a weak narcotic effect. MPC 300 mg/m3. The release of metal into mine workings creates a particular danger during coal mining. There are three forms of M.'s release into mine workings: regular, souffle, and sudden. Based on methane abundance, according to the “Safety Rules for Coal and Shale Mines,” mines are divided into five categories. The criterion for such division is relative methane abundance, i.e. the amount of methane in cubic meters released per day per 1 ton of average daily production: with methane release up to 5 m 3 / t, 5 - 10 m 3 / t, 10 - 15 m 3 / t; super-category - more than 15 m 3 / t; dangerous due to souffle secretions. Mines developing seams that are dangerous or threatening sudden outbursts of coal, gas and rock belong to a special category - dangerous due to sudden outbursts. The extraction of methane from coal seams is considered promising (see methane content of a coal seam, methane of coal deposits). At the end of the twentieth century. This problem was dealt with only in the USA by scientists approx. 40 universities, approx. involved. 100 companies. The first industrial attempts to use associated methane (in coal mining) are also being made in Ukraine, in the Donbass. In industry, methane is used to produce synthesis gas, acetylene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, carbon black, and others. The products of partial oxidation of methane are the starting materials for the manufacture of plastics used in organic synthesis.

See also

Sources

Methane is an organic gas, odorless and colorless. CH 4 is its chemical formula, and the mass of the substance is less than the mass of air. Dissolution in water proceeds slowly. Speaking about the organic nature of methane, it means that almost 95% of cases of its occurrence are of a natural nature. For example, it is released during the decomposition of plant debris. Therefore, it is not surprising that many of its characteristics were studied even before the New Era, when people observed air bubbles on the surface of stagnant bodies of water. These bubbles were precisely methane released during the decay of plants at the bottom of the swamp.

Other natural sources of gas include:

• Livestock. Bacteria living in their stomachs emit methane during their life processes, and its share accounts for 20% of all atmospheric gas.
• Plants. Methane is an integral substance released during photosynthesis.
• Insects. Termites are the most active methane emitters.
• Mines. Under the earth's surface, the slow decomposition of coal constantly occurs, during which methane is formed.
• Oil wells. The content of this gas in oil is simply enormous.
• Volcanoes. Probably, methane is also formed there due to the fact that prehistoric organic matter is actively decomposing.
• Ocean. Deep underwater there are cracks through which methane can leak.
• Forest burning.
• Industry. Despite the apparent activity of these enterprises, their share of emissions in the total mass is negligible.

All of the above examples clearly confirm the fact that methane was constantly in the atmosphere, its appearance is not associated with the beginning of active human activity. That is why the presence of methane on a planet is a sign that there may be life on it or that it once was there.

However, the “naturalness” of this gas does not mean that it does not cause us any harm. Its vapors, especially at elevated concentrations, are quite capable of leading to human death. In the early stages of the development of the mining industry, explosions or severe poisoning of miners with methane were often recorded. If you follow information in the media, these events also take place in the modern world. To minimize the likelihood of methane poisoning, it is necessary, at the first sign of it, to place an order for a professional analysis of the air in the room, with the help of which it will be possible to accurately determine the concentration.

Methane in the modern world

Gas is widely used in the modern world:

• Internal combustion engines quite often operate on methane.
• Gas makes it possible to produce many medications, including antiseptics and sleeping pills.
• Methane is the basis of formaldehyde and methanol, with which fertilizers and many other substances are made.
• Without methane it is impossible to make fire extinguishers and solvents.
• Hydrocyanic acid is not just a poison, it also has wide practical applications, and its production process is based on the oxidation of a methane and ammonia mixture.

Methane and its danger to the human body

The danger of methane lies in the following factors:

• Explosion hazard. It was this property that gave it the name “explosive gas.” An accumulation of methane, the smallest spark - all this can lead to a destructive explosion. That is why in places where accumulations or emissions of this gas are recorded, you should not smoke or use open flame sources. But sometimes even these safety measures are not enough; gas continues to take human lives.
• We have already mentioned the property according to which methane can accumulate in mines. It is mainly found in the voids between large rock layers, as well as voids created by miners during the mining process. The more active the mining, the more intense the methane emissions, and therefore it is the mine workers who most often die from this gas.
• Explosions are not the only danger; methane can also cause severe poisoning. Inhaling large volumes of it leads to a lack of oxygen in the blood, “ringing” in the ears, and a feeling of a “cast iron” head. Increased concentration causes the heart to beat faster, the person feels general weakness, suffers from nausea, and the skin may turn red. The most serious consequences are fainting, pallor, convulsions and even death.
• Unfortunately, methane in its pure form has no odor and is therefore difficult to detect. The “methane” aroma that we can smell is the result of special fragrances that make its use safer and more controlled.
• In the mines, of course, no fragrances are added to the methane. Since ancient times, people have been using special methods to detect its presence in the air. The first miners, for example, took a canary with them. If the bird stops singing or even dies, then it is necessary to urgently remove itself from the slaughter.
• In the 50s of the last century, they began to use special devices that made it possible to accurately determine the percentage of methane in the air mixture. However, experienced workers said that the canary is an even better method than newfangled devices. Of course, modern devices are more sensitive and compact; sometimes they are mounted directly into miners’ helmets, just like lamps. Stationary sensors are also installed in mines, constantly transmitting information to specialists. Dangerous increases force immediate power cuts and staff evacuations. Nowadays, special installations are also used that can localize the detonation of coal dust at the earliest stages. Before the work shift begins, the amount of methane in the mine is reduced to extremely safe levels.

It turns out that the danger of methane for humans comes from two sides at once. The tendency to detonate, the poisonous effect, the absence of odor and color - all this makes “explosive gas” incredibly dangerous. In order not to encounter its worst sides, it is worth ordering an environmental assessment in advance that can determine the level of methane concentration in the air.