Gas(es) derivatives

[mjoekingz28]

Hello!

I am wondering about methane, propane (is propane natural gas?) and butane......

Are these derived from petroleum, or possibly cavities beneath the Earth's surface?


ty
ttyl

 

[bvance554]

Natuaral gas is mostly methane, and yes all of the above are extracted from the Earth's crust.

 

[OneEyeJack]

And maybe we'll start using more of these natural gases in the future for the production of energy.

No matter what the tree huggers may say our future depends on cheap, abundant energy.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Natural gas is pretty much what the name implies, a natural resource that is often found in concert with petroleum and is a mix of various hydrocarbons and some other gases. The "natural gas" that is shipped in pipelines is stripped of compounds like propane and butane that liquify under pressure since they interfere with the delivery of the lighter gases when they condense...but, obviously we have found other uses for those in home heating, grilling, camp stoves, and cig lighters.

 

[A_Harman]

The basics of organic chemistry, in order of increasing carbon chain length:
methane
ethane
propane
butane
pentane
hexane
heptane
octane
nonane
decane

Methane is a hydrocarbon, in the same series as octane, called alkanes. Single bonds between Carbon atoms with Hydrogen atoms attached in the other 3 places.

 

[kschachn]

And since he asked about gasses, to preempt the next question those alkanes stop being a gas (at room temperature and pressure) right around pentane.