Butane

Butane is an organic compound with the chemical formula C
₄H
₁₀. It is an alkane with four carbon atoms. It is used as a fuel (sometimes with propane) and in aerosol cans.

Butane

Names
Preferred IUPAC name Butane[1]
Systematic IUPAC name Tetracarbane (never recommended[1])
Other names Butyl hydride[2] Quartane[3]
Identifiers
CAS Number	106-97-8 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
Beilstein Reference	969129
ChEBI	CHEBI:37808 Y
ChEMBL	ChEMBL134702 Y
ChemSpider	7555 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.003.136
EC Number	203-448-7
E number	E943a (glazing agents, ...)
Gmelin Reference	1148
KEGG	D03186 Y
MeSH	butane
PubChem CID	7843
RTECS number	EJ4200000
UNII	6LV4FOR43R Y
UN number	1011
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID7024665
SMILES CCCC
Properties
Chemical formula	C4H10
Molar mass	58.12 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
Solubility in water	61 mg L−1 (at 20 °C (68 °F))
log P	2.745
Vapor pressure	~170 kPa at 283 K [4]
kH	11 nmol Pa−1 kg−1
Conjugate acid	Butanium
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	-57.4·10−6 cm3/mol
Thermochemistry
Std enthalpy of formation ΔfHo298	−126.3–−124.9 kJ mol−1
Std enthalpy of combustion ΔcHo298	−2.8781–−2.8769 MJ mol−1
Specific heat capacity, C	98.49 J K−1 mol−1
Hazards
NFPA 704	4 1 0
Explosive limits	1.8–8.4%
U.S. Permissible exposure limit (PEL)	none[2]
Related compounds
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Related compounds	{{{value}}}
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references

Aerosol spray cans often contain Butane

Uses of Butane

Butane is sold in canisters, for cooking and camping. It is also used as fuel in cigarette lighters, and as propellant in aerosol sprays or deodorants. Some kinds of Butane are used in refrigerators.

Mixtures with Propane are known as LPG.

Dangers

Butane can be hazardous. Inhalation can lead to death by asphyxiation due to displacement of oxygen in the lungs. Contact with the skin can lead to frostbite. If the gas is mixed with air and ignighted it is prone to explode like many other fuels that are volatile

References

1. "Front Matter". Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry : IUPAC Recommendations and Preferred Names 2013 (Blue Book). Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry. 2014. p. 4. doi:10.1039/9781849733069-FP001. ISBN 978-0-85404-182-4. Similarly, the retained names 'ethane', 'propane', and 'butane' were never replaced by systematic names 'dicarbane', 'tricarbane', and 'tetracarbane' as recommended for analogues of silane, 'disilane'; phosphane, 'triphosphane'; and sulfane, 'tetrasulfane'.
2. NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. "#0068". National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
3. Hofmann, August Wilhelm Von (1 January 1867). "I. On the action of trichloride of phosphorus on the salts of the aromatic monamines". Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. 15: 54–62. doi:10.1098/rspl.1866.0018. S2CID 98496840. Retrieved 20 September 2018 – via rspl.royalsocietypublishing.org.
4. W. B. Kay (1940). "Pressure-Volume-Temperature Relations for n-Butane". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. 32 (3): 358–360. doi:10.1021/ie50363a016.

Other websites

• International Chemical Safety Card 0232
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
• n-Butane Archived 2008-09-25 at the Wayback Machine Molecule of the Month
• Molview from bluerhinos.co.uk Archived 2008-05-08 at the Wayback Machine See Butane in 3D
• Computational Chemistry Wiki Archived 2009-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
• World LP Gas Association (WLPGA)
• LP Gas Association: Propane and Butane in the UK Archived 2008-04-13 at the Wayback Machine
• Global BioSciences In-Situ Bioremediation utilizing Butane
• Butane Viscosity as function of temperature and pressure