Butane
Organic compound / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Butane (/ˈbjuːteɪn/) or n-butane is an alkane with the formula C4H10. Butane is a highly flammable, colorless, easily liquefied gas that quickly vaporizes at room temperature and pressure. The name butane comes from the root but- (from butyric acid, named after the Greek word for butter) and the suffix -ane. It was discovered in crude petroleum in 1864 by Edmund Ronalds, who was the first to describe its properties,[6][7] and commercialized by Walter O. Snelling in the early 1910s.
Quick Facts Names, Identifiers ...
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Names | |||
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Preferred IUPAC name
Butane[1] | |||
Systematic IUPAC name
Tetracarbane (never recommended[1]) | |||
Other names | |||
Identifiers | |||
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3D model (JSmol) |
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969129 | |||
ChEBI | |||
ChEMBL | |||
ChemSpider |
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ECHA InfoCard | 100.003.136 | ||
EC Number |
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E number | E943a (glazing agents, ...) | ||
1148 | |||
KEGG |
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MeSH | butane | ||
PubChem CID |
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RTECS number |
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UNII | |||
UN number | 1011 | ||
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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Properties | |||
C4H10 | |||
Molar mass | 58.124 g·mol−1 | ||
Appearance | Colorless gas | ||
Odor | Gasoline-like or natural gas-like[2] | ||
Density | 2.48 kg/m3 (at 15 °C (59 °F)) | ||
Melting point | −140 to −134 °C; −220 to −209 °F; 133 to 139 K | ||
Boiling point | −1 to 1 °C; 30 to 34 °F; 272 to 274 K | ||
61 mg/L (at 20 °C (68 °F)) | |||
log P | 2.745 | ||
Vapor pressure | ~170 kPa at 283 K [4] | ||
Henry's law constant (kH) |
11 nmol Pa−1 kg−1 | ||
−57.4·10−6 cm3/mol | |||
Thermochemistry | |||
Heat capacity (C) |
98.49 J/(K·mol) | ||
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) |
−126.3–−124.9 kJ/mol | ||
Std enthalpy of combustion (ΔcH⦵298) |
−2.8781–−2.8769 MJ/mol | ||
Hazards[5] | |||
GHS labelling: | |||
Danger | |||
H220 | |||
P210 | |||
NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |||
Flash point | −60 °C (−76 °F; 213 K) | ||
405 °C (761 °F; 678 K) | |||
Explosive limits | 1.8–8.4% | ||
NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |||
PEL (Permissible) |
none[2] | ||
REL (Recommended) |
TWA 800 ppm (1900 mg/m3)[2] | ||
IDLH (Immediate danger) |
1600 ppm[2] | ||
Related compounds | |||
Related alkanes |
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Related compounds |
Perfluorobutane | ||
Supplementary data page | |||
Butane (data page) | |||
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Close
Butane is one of a group of liquefied petroleum gases (LP gases). The others include propane, propylene, butadiene, butylene, isobutylene, and mixtures thereof. Butane burns more cleanly than both gasoline and coal.