What is Methane?
- Methane is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and flammable gas.
- Methane is the first member of paraffin (fat-saturated) hydrocarbons.
- Methane is also a major component of natural gas.
- Methane is soluble in alcohol and ether and slightly soluble in water.
- Methane is transported as a gas in pressurized cylinders.
- Liquid methane (the main component of natural gas LNG) is transported in cryogenic containers and trailers.
Available grades:
% 99-% 99.9-% 99.99-% 99.999
Tanks and maintenance:
- Methane can be charged in any cylinder that can be used for non-liquefied gases.
- This gas can also be transported in bulk through the pipeline.
- Methane is transported at sea by ships with cryogenic reservoirs.
Compatible and incompatible materials:
- Methane is non-corrosive and can be used in the presence of any ordinary metal.
- In the presence of liquid methane, carbon steel, and most steel alloys lose their malleability.
- Suitable metals for use with liquid methane are stainless steel 8-18 and austenitized alloys of nickel, chromium, copper, Monel, brass, and aluminum.
Molecular Weight | 16.042 |
steam pressure | 3680 K. Pa @ -90 0C |
Gas density | 0.6784 Kg/m3 @ 15.6 0C and 1 atm |
The latent heat of evaporation at the boiling point | 509.91 KJ/Kg |
Specific heat capacity at the temperature
15.6 0C in 1 Atm |
CP=2.207 KJ/Kg.0C
CV=1.688 KJ/Kg.0C CP/CV=1.307 |
Critical temperature | -82.1 0C |
Critical pressure | 4641 K.Pa |
Solubility in water | 35mg/L vol.(gas)/Vol.(Water) at 170C and 1 atm |
Boiling point | -161.49 0C |
Triple point | -182.5 0C |
Explosion / ignition range in air | Flammable Gas |
Material Compatibility of Methane
METALS | PLASTICS | ELASTOMERS | |||||||||||||||
Brass |
CARBON STEEL |
StainLess Steel |
Alumium |
Zinc |
CoPPER |
Monel |
Kel-F |
Teflon |
Tefzel |
Kynar |
PVC |
Polycarbonate |
Viton® | Buna-N | Neoprene | Polyurethane
Kalrez |
|
GAS | |||||||||||||||||
S – Satisfactory for use with the intended gas
C – Conditional. May be incompatible under some circumstances or conditions Contact your Praxair representative for additional information
U – Unsatisfactory for use with the intended gas
I – Insufficient data available to determine compatibility with the intended gas
O – All nonmetalic, even those considered compatible, may be ignitable in oxygen enriched environments or in other oxidizing gases. Successful
use depends upon oxygen purity, pressure, temperature, cleanliness and elimination of ignition mechanisms. Please contact your Praxair
Representative for additional information
Classification of dangerous Products:
Dangerous Products Transport Information:
(For refrigerated liquid) :UN 1972
IATA | IMDG | DOT | ||
UN 1971 | UN 1971 | UN 1971 | UN NUMBER | |
Methane, compressed or Natural gas | Methane, compressed or Natural gas | Methane, compressed or Natural gas, compressed (with high methane content) | UN SHIPPING NAME | |
2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | TRANSPORT HAZARD CLASS | |
NO | NO | NO | ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD |