Methane
1. Methane was first discovered by Alessandro Volta in 1778 while on summer vacation at Lake Maggiore in Italy. He noticed large bubbles of gas coming to the surface from the stirred up sediment of the lake, when he poked the muddy bottom of the water with a stick. He collected them for further experimentation and discovered it was inflammable. He called it inflammable air from marshlands [1].
Methane is created naturally near the Earth's surface by microorganisms by the process of methanogenesis. It is produced in wetlands by the anaerobic bacterial decomposition of vegetable matter under water. Other natural sources of methane include termites (as a result of their digestive processes) [2], volcanoes, vents in the ocean floor, and
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Methane (tetrahydridocarbon, Methyl hydride, Marsh gas, Biogas, Fire Damp, R 50) is a molecule consisting of one carbon and four hydrogen atoms and its chemical formula is CH4. It is the main component of natural gas and the simplest alkane i.e. consist only of hydrogen and carbon atoms and all bonds are single bonds. It has a central Carbon atom with four Hydrogen atoms substituents located at the corners of a tetrahedron, joined by four equivalent C-H bonds. As all four substituents are the same (Hydrogen) hence the bond angles are ≈ 109.5°. Bond length is ≈ 1.09Ao [4].
3. Methane is a colorless, odourless and non-poisonous gas. Its vapors are lighter than air and is slightly soluble in water but fairly soluble in ether and alcohol [5].
Molecular Weight (lb/mol) 16.04
Critical Temp. (°F) -116.2
Critical Pressure (psia)
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Stability: Chemically, methane is very stable and remains unaffected when treated with acids (H2SO4, HNO3) and reagents like Potassium permanganate, Potassium dichromate. ii. Combustion: Methane burns in excess of air or oxygen with a pale-blue nonluminous flame to give carbon dioxide and water. As combustion reaction is highly exothermic (it gives out heat), methane is an excellent source of fuel.
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O
If the oxygen supply is restricted then the combustion methane undergoes incomplete (or partial) combustion producing highly poisonous, carbon monoxide (CO) gas.
2CH4 + 3O2 → 2CO+ 4H2O iii. Substitution reactions: In a substitution reaction, one atom is swapped with another atom. These are very useful reactions in the chemical industry because they allow chemists to change one compound into something more useful, building up designer molecules like drugs. Methane reacts with chlorine (or bromine) in the presence of sunlight or a halogen-carrier to give haloalkene, in which one or more H-atoms are replaced by equal number of halogen atoms.
CH4 + Cl2 → CH3Cl + HCl
CH3Cl + Cl2 → CH2Cl2 + HCl (dichloro methane)
CH2Cl2 + Cl2 → CHCl3 + HCl (chloroform)
CHCl3 + Cl2 → CCl4 + HCl (carbon tetra
Alkanes are relatively unreactive. There are only a few types of reactions commonly performed. In this lab, halogenation was performed. In the methane molecule, the
* When we burn hydrocarbon fuels in the air the carbon and hydrogen in the fuel are completely oxidized. They produce carbon dioxide and water.
The yield of following reactions for methane is related to the temperature and the amount of natural gas. The mass balance for free carbon and hydrogen is mentioned as
Not all combustion reactions involve organic compounds made of carbon and hydrogen (nonorganic compounds), which means that the products are not always
The Greek god Cronus should be remembered in the minds of all as a historical and cultural figure that played an important role in the Greek creation story. Cronus's birth, conflict with his father, time as ruler, role in Golden Age, relationship with children, actions in war, mercy given to him, and time as king of the Islands of the Blessed tell an incredible story that can be enjoyed by all. The birth of this Greek god was not an unusual one compared to the crazy stories of others. Cronus had two parents whose names were Uranus (Sky) and Gaea (Earth).
There is a never ending search for an effective source of energy that is both efficient and the safest option to use. Scientists located in japan may have found a solution to this dilemma as they were recently able to locate methane clathrate, more commonly known as fire ice. Despite the name existing as an oxymoron, many believe this hydrate could prove to be the savior for the earth’s fuel problems. However, given current research this supposedly useful source of natural gas could prove even more detrimental towards the environment than carbon dioxide.
Currently, hydrogen is generated from fossil fuels by the steam reforming of methane or natural gas. At extremely high temperatures from between 700-1100℃, steam water reacts with methane in an endothermic reaction to yield syngas (synthesis gas), which is a fuel gas mixture consisting primarily of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
Methane production from hydrogen and ethanol effluent was conducted. The effect of effluent concentration and trace element addition was investigated. All of experiment was done in triplicate using serum bottle. The serum bottle was cap with rubber stopper and aluminum cap then flushed with N2 gas to create anaerobic conditions, and placed in an incubator at the room temperature. During the incubation period, gaseous and liquid samples were taken and
1.) Methane is a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and inherently dangerous to human health. It can also be a potent energy source and a potential indicator of life or life-like activity. NASA uses the Open Path Laser Spectrometer with the drones to detect methane gas leaks large and small (Atherton, 2016).
Gas hydrates (GHs) are compounds which are made up of water molecules and guest gas such as methane, carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulfide. GHs have a clathrate structure where the guest gas is trapped in the water molecules forming a cage. GHs appear to be solid like an ice but their physical properties differ from those of ice.
Depending on the location, methane hydrate formation exists in various forms. A certain formation can contain sand as host sediments with methane hydrate mixed within; similarly, the host sediment can be made of rock, clay, silt, or a mixture of each. Depending on the composition of the host sediment, the formation has different mechanical strength, porosity, permeability, degree of saturation and other parameter. Depending on the location, the permeability of the formation can vary for several degrees of magnitude. [15] When hot water, steam, or CO2 is
Everyone who does not live under a rock enjoys their heating and energy supply that charges their computers and keeps them toasty in the winter. Nearly one hundred percent of the time, an individual using such resources will neglect to take note of where they come from. Many a time this energy comes from natural gas (methane hydrates), which have special properties like all chemicals that can make them bad for the environment, and lead to consequences for the future.
Central Idea: Carbon Monoxide is a deadly, odorless, colorless, tasteless gas but with proper education and detection you can avoid becoming another statistic of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Methane will displace oxygen. It is an explosive gas and is lighter than air. Carbon monoxide has about the same weight as air so it can evenly distributed throughout the space. It prevents your body from absorbing oxygen causing you to suffocate.
Natural gas is a mixture of Hydrocarbon gases that form with a petroleum deposit. A hydrocarbon is a compound that’s mostly made up of Hydrogen and Carbon. Natural gas is methane together with some of ethane, propane, butane, and other gases, Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and Ethane is colorless and odorless. Natural gas is used as fuel and in the making of organic compounds. Natural gas is also highly flammable. (The American Heritage Dictionary, 2009)