Natural Gas, Biogas, LPG and Methane Hydrates

All gaseous fuels are odorless (except those containing traces of HjS), and odor markers (sulfur-containing chemicals as thiols or mercaptans) are introduced for safety. 

Pure methane, propane, and butane can be easily found from local chemicals suppliers, if the commercial mixtures traded (natural gas, commercial propane, and commercial butane) are not good for some laboratory work. For small lab demonstrations they may also be obtained in situ e.g., methane may be easily produced by means of Al C3(s)+6H20(l) = 3CH (g) + 2Al203(s), or by heating a 50/50 mix of anhydrous sodium acetate and sodium hydroxide, NaOH(s) + NaC H O fs) = CH (g)+Na2C03(s), as did his discoverer, the American Mathews, in 1899. 

Some 30% of world production was based on coal reforming (declining rapidly) C+H O = H +CO at 1300 K and CO+H O = 1 + COj with FeO-CiOj-ThOj catalyst. 

A small percentile of world production has been based on water electrolysis from cheap hydroelectric eneigy in Canada and Scandinavia H O = H2+(1/2)02, with h = 0.65. It is the purest H. As fossil fuels are being exhaust, water electrolysers seem to be the most popular hydrogen sources in the future. Electrolysers with liquid 

Production is at intermediate locations (for transportation or for stationary applications) by reforming. (See Reforming details below). 

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