Butane
Encyclopedia : B : BU : BUT : Butane
| Butane | |
|---|---|
 
| |
| General | |
| Molecular formula | C4H10 |
| SMILES | CCCC |
| Molar mass | 58.08 g/mol |
| Appearance | colorless gas |
| CAS number | [106-97-8] |
| Properties | |
| Density and phase | 2.52 g/l, gas (15 °C, 1 atm) |
| Solubility in water | 6.1 mg/100 ml (20 °C) |
| Melting point | −138.3 °C (134.9 K) |
| Boiling point | −0.5 °C (272.7 K) |
| Hazards | |
| MSDS | External MSDS |
| EU classification | Highly flammable (F+) |
| NFPA 704 | |
| R-phrases | R12 |
| S-phrases | S2, S9, S16 |
| Flash point | −60 °C |
| Autoignition temperature | 287 °C |
| Explosive limits | 1.8–8.4% |
| Supplementary data page | |
| Structure and properties | n, εr, etc. |
| Thermodynamic data | Phase behaviour Solid, liquid, gas |
| Spectral data | UV, IR, NMR, MS |
| Related compounds | |
| Related alkanes | Propane Pentane |
| Related compounds | Isobutane |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) [Chemical infoboxInfobox disclaimer and references] | |
Butane, also called n-butane, is the unbranched alkane with four carbon atoms, CH3CH2CH2CH3. Butane is also used as a collective term for n-butane together with its only other isomer, isobutane (also called methylpropane), CH(CH3)3.
Butanes are highly flammable, colorless, easily liquefied gases. The name butane was derived by back-formation from the name of butyric acid.
Reactions and uses
When oxygen is plentiful, butane burns to form carbon dioxide and water vapor: When oxygen is limited, carbon (soot) or carbon monoxide may also be formed.n-Butane is the feedstock for duPont's process for the preparation of maleic anhydride. The catalyst for this process has the approximate formula
- :CH3CH2CH2CH3 + 3.5 O2 → C2H2(CO)2O + 4 H2O
Butane gas is sold bottled as a fuel for cooking and camping, in which case it is referred to commercially as LPG. It is also used as a petrol component, as a feedstock for the production of base petrochemicals in steam cracking, as fuel for cigarette lighters and as a propellant in aerosol sprays. Despite its flammability, very pure forms of butane are also occasionally used as a refrigerant in automobiles that are set up to use R-12, because R-12 is an ozone depleting halomethane.
See also
- Butane bottle
- Volatile substance abuse
References
Bond dissociation energies: Senosiain, J. P.; Han, J. H.; Musgrave, C. B.; Golden, D. M. Faraday Discussions (2001), vol. 119, 173-189 Coulston, G. W.; Bare, S. R.; Kung, H.; Birkeland, K.; Bethke, G. K.; Harlow, R.; Herron, N.; Lee, P. L. "The Kinetic Significance of V5+ in n-Butane Oxidation Catalyzed by Vanadium Phosphates" Science (1997) Vol. 275, pp. 191 - 193.External links
- [LP Gas Association: Propane and Butane in the UK]
- [International Chemical Safety Card 0232]
- [NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards]
- [European Chemicals Bureau]
- [n-Butane], [Molecule of the Month].
- [Molview from bluerhinos.co.uk] See Butane in 3D
- [Computational Chemistry Wiki]
- [Data from Air Liquide]
- [Butane bottle] information.
| Alkanes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Methane CH4 |
| |
Ethane C2H6 |
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Propane C3H8 |
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Butane C4H10 |
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Pentane C5H12 |
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Hexane C6H14 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Heptane C7H16 |
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Octane C8H18 |
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Nonane C9H20 |
| |
Decane C10H22 |
| |
Undecane C11H24 |
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Dodecane C12H26 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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