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Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the (one atom bonded to four atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest , and the main constituent of . The abundance of methane on makes it an economically attractive , although capturing and storing it is difficult because it is a at standard temperature and pressure. In the Earth's atmosphere methane is transparent to visible light but absorbs infrared radiation, acting as a . Methane is an organic , and among the simplest of organic compounds. Methane is also a .

Naturally occurring methane is found both below ground and under the and is formed by both geological and biological processes. The largest of methane is under the seafloor in the form of methane clathrates. When methane reaches the surface and the atmosphere, it is known as atmospheric methane.

The Earth's atmospheric methane concentration has increased by about 160% since 1750, with the overwhelming percentage caused by human activity. It accounted for 20% of the total radiative forcing from all of the long-lived and globally mixed , according to the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Strong, rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions could limit near-term warming and improve air quality by reducing global surface ozone. IPCC, 2023: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. A Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Core. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, page 26, section C.2.3

Methane has also been detected on other planets, including , which has implications for research.


Properties and bonding
hydrogen and carbon in a molecule of methane.]]Methane is a tetrahedral molecule with four equivalent C–H bonds. Its electronic structure is described by four bonding molecular orbitals (MOs) resulting from the overlap of the valence orbitals on and . The lowest-energy MO is the result of the overlap of the on carbon with the in-phase combination of the 1s orbitals on the four hydrogen atoms. Above this energy level is a triply degenerate set of MOs that involve overlap of the 2p orbitals on carbon with various linear combinations of the 1s orbitals on hydrogen. The resulting "three-over-one" bonding scheme is consistent with photoelectron spectroscopic measurements.

Methane is an odorless, colourless and transparent gas at standard temperature and pressure.

(2025). 9780080441030, Emerald Group Publishing. .
It does absorb visible light, especially at the red end of the spectrum, due to , but the effect is only noticeable if the light path is very long. This is what gives and their blue or bluish-green colors, as light passes through their atmospheres containing methane and is then scattered back out.

The familiar smell of natural gas as used in homes is achieved by the addition of an , usually blends containing , as a safety measure. Methane has a boiling point of −161.5  at a pressure of one atmosphere. As a gas, it is over a range of concentrations (5.4%–17%) in air at standard pressure.

Solid methane exists in several modifications, of which nine are known. Cooling methane at normal pressure results in the formation of methane I. This substance crystallizes in the cubic system ( Fmm). The positions of the hydrogen atoms are not fixed in methane I, i.e. methane molecules may rotate freely. Therefore, it is a .


Chemical reactions
The primary chemical reactions of methane are , to , and . In general, methane reactions are difficult to control.


Selective oxidation
Partial of methane to (3), a more convenient, liquid fuel, is challenging because the reaction typically progresses all the way to and even with an insufficient supply of . The methane monooxygenase produces methanol from methane, but cannot be used for industrial-scale reactions. Some homogeneously systems and heterogeneous systems have been developed, but all have significant drawbacks. These generally operate by generating protected products which are shielded from overoxidation. Examples include the Catalytica system, copper , and iron zeolites stabilizing the active site.

One group of catalyze methane oxidation with as the in the absence of , giving rise to the so-called anaerobic oxidation of methane.

(2025). 9783319124148, Springer.


Acid–base reactions
Like other , methane is an extremely . Its in DMSO is estimated to be 56. It cannot be in solution, but the is known in forms such as .

A variety of derived from methane have been observed, mostly as unstable species in low-pressure gas mixtures. These include or methyl cation , methane cation , and or protonated methane . Some of these have been detected in outer space. Methanium can also be produced as diluted solutions from methane with . with higher charge, such as and , have been studied theoretically and conjectured to be stable.

Despite the of its C–H bonds, there is intense interest in that facilitate C–H bond activation in methane (and other lower numbered ).


Combustion
Methane's heat of combustion is 55.5 MJ/kg. Energy Content of some Combustibles (in MJ/kg) . People.hofstra.edu. Retrieved on March 30, 2014. of methane is a multiple step reaction summarized as follows:
Δ H = −802 /mol, at standard conditions (for water vapor, Δ H = −891 /mol for liquid water)
Peters four-step chemistry is a systematically reduced four-step chemistry that explains the burning of methane.


Methane radical reactions
Given appropriate conditions, methane reacts with radicals as follows:

where X is a : (F), (Cl), (Br), or (I). This mechanism for this process is called free radical halogenation. It is initiated when or some other radical initiator (like ) produces a halogen . A two-step ensues in which the halogen atom abstracts a hydrogen atom from a methane molecule, resulting in the formation of a molecule and a (). The methyl radical then reacts with a molecule of the halogen to form a molecule of the halomethane, with a new halogen atom as byproduct. Similar reactions can occur on the halogenated product, leading to replacement of additional hydrogen atoms by halogen atoms with , , and ultimately, structures, depending upon reaction conditions and the halogen-to-methane ratio.

This reaction is commonly used with chlorine to produce and via . Carbon tetrachloride can be made with excess chlorine.


Uses
Methane may be transported as a refrigerated liquid (liquefied natural gas, or ). While leaks from a refrigerated liquid container are initially heavier than air due to the increased density of the cold gas, the gas at ambient temperature is lighter than air. Gas pipelines distribute large amounts of natural gas, of which methane is the principal component.


Fuel
Methane is used as a for ovens, homes, water heaters, kilns, automobiles, turbines, etc.

As the major constituent of , methane is important for electricity generation by burning it as a fuel in a or steam generator. Compared to other , methane produces less for each unit of heat released. At about 891 kJ/mol, methane's heat of combustion is lower than that of any other hydrocarbon, but the ratio of the heat of combustion (891 kJ/mol) to the molecular mass (16.0 g/mol, of which 12.0 g/mol is carbon) shows that methane, being the simplest hydrocarbon, produces more heat per mass unit (55.7 kJ/g) than other complex hydrocarbons. In many areas with a dense enough population, methane is piped into homes and businesses for , cooking, and industrial uses. In this context it is usually known as , which is considered to have an energy content of 39 per cubic meter, or 1,000 BTU per standard cubic foot. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is predominantly methane () converted into liquid form for ease of storage or transport.


Rocket propellant
Refined liquid methane as well as LNG is used as a , when combined with , as in the TQ-12, BE-4, Raptor, YF-215, and Aeon engines. Due to the similarities between methane and LNG such engines are commonly grouped together under the term methalox.

As a liquid rocket propellant, a methane/ combination offers the advantage over / combination, or kerolox, of producing small exhaust molecules, reducing coking or deposition of on engine components. Methane is easier to store than hydrogen due to its higher boiling point and density, as well as its lack of hydrogen embrittlement. The lower of the exhaust also increases the fraction of the heat energy which is in the form of kinetic energy available for propulsion, increasing the of the rocket. Compared to , the of methane is lower but this disadvantage is offset by methane's greater density and temperature range, allowing for smaller and lighter tankage for a given fuel mass. Liquid methane has a temperature range (91–112 K) nearly compatible with (54–90 K). The fuel currently sees use in operational launch vehicles such as Zhuque-2, and as well as in-development launchers such as , Neutron, , Nova, and Long March 9.


Chemical feedstock
, which is mostly composed of methane, is used to produce hydrogen gas on an industrial scale. (SMR), or simply known as steam reforming, is the standard industrial method of producing commercial bulk hydrogen gas. More than 50 million metric tons are produced annually worldwide (2013), principally from the SMR of natural gas. Report of the Hydrogen Production Expert Panel: A Subcommittee of the Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee . United States Department of Energy (May 2013). Much of this hydrogen is used in , in the production of chemicals and in food processing. Very large quantities of hydrogen are used in the industrial synthesis of ammonia.

At high temperatures (700–1100 °C) and in the presence of a -based (), steam reacts with methane to yield a mixture of and , known as "water gas" or "":

This reaction is strongly (consumes heat, 206 kJ/mol). Additional hydrogen is obtained by the reaction of with water via the water-gas shift reaction:

This reaction is mildly (produces heat, −41 kJ/mol).

Methane is also subjected to free-radical chlorination in the production of chloromethanes, although is a more typical precursor.Rossberg, M. et al. (2006) "Chlorinated Hydrocarbons" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. .

Hydrogen can also be produced via the direct decomposition of methane, also known as methane , which, unlike steam reforming, produces no (GHG). The heat needed for the reaction can also be GHG emission free, e.g. from concentrated sunlight, renewable electricity, or burning some of the produced hydrogen. If the methane is from then the process can be a . Temperatures in excess of 1200 °C are required to break the bonds of methane to produce hydrogen gas and solid carbon.

However, through the use of a suitable catalyst the reaction temperature can be reduced to between 550 and 900 °C depending on the chosen catalyst. Dozens of catalysts have been tested, including unsupported and supported metal catalysts, carbonaceous and metal-carbon catalysts.

The reaction is moderately endothermic as shown in the reaction equation below.

( 74.8 kJ/mol)


Refrigerant
As a , methane has the designation .


Generation
Methane can be generated through geological, biological or industrial routes.


Geological routes
two main routes for geological methane generation are (i) organic (thermally generated, or thermogenic) and (ii) inorganic (abiotic). Thermogenic methane occurs due to the breakup of organic matter at elevated temperatures and pressures in deep sedimentary . Most methane in sedimentary basins is thermogenic; therefore, thermogenic methane is the most important source of natural gas. Thermogenic methane components are typically considered to be relic (from an earlier time). Generally, formation of thermogenic methane (at depth) can occur through organic matter breakup, or organic synthesis. Both ways can involve microorganisms (), but may also occur inorganically. The processes involved can also consume methane, with and without microorganisms.

The more important source of methane at depth (crystalline bedrock) is abiotic. Abiotic means that methane is created from inorganic compounds, without biological activity, either through magmatic processes or via water-rock reactions that occur at low temperatures and pressures, like .


Biological routes
Most of Earth's methane is biogenic and is produced by ,Lessner, Daniel J. (Dec 2009) Methanogenesis Biochemistry. In: eLS. John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester. http://www.els.net a form of anaerobic respiration only known to be conducted by some members of the domain . Methanogens occur in and , (for example, ), the guts of termites, and the sediments below the seafloor and the bottom of lakes.

This multistep process is used by these microorganisms for energy. The net reaction of methanogenesis is:

The final step in the process is catalyzed by the enzyme methyl coenzyme M reductase (MCR).]]


Wetlands
Wetlands are the largest natural sources of methane to the atmosphere, accounting for approximately 20 – 30% of atmospheric methane. Climate change is increasing the amount of methane released from wetlands due to increased temperatures and altered rainfall patterns. This phenomenon is called wetland methane feedback.

cultivation generates as much as 12% of total global methane emissions due to the long-term flooding of rice fields.


Ruminants
Ruminants such as cattle belch out methane, accounting for about 22% of the U.S. annual methane emissions to the atmosphere. One study reported that the livestock sector in general (primarily cattle, chickens, and pigs) produces 37% of all human-induced methane. A 2013 study estimated that livestock accounted for 44% of human-induced methane and about 15% of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. Many efforts are underway to reduce livestock methane production, such as medical treatments and dietary adjustments, and to trap the gas to use its combustion energy.


Seafloor sediments
Most of the subseafloor is because oxygen is removed by aerobic microorganisms within the first few centimeters of the sediment. Below the oxygen-replete seafloor, produce methane that is either used by other organisms or becomes trapped in gas hydrates. These other organisms that utilize methane for energy are known as ('methane-eating'), and are the main reason why little methane generated at depth reaches the sea surface. Consortia of Archaea and Bacteria have been found to oxidize methane via anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM); the organisms responsible for this are anaerobic Archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB).


Industrial routes
Given its cheap abundance in natural gas, there is little incentive to produce methane industrially. Methane can be produced by carbon dioxide through the . Methane is also a side product of the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide in the Fischer–Tropsch process, which is practiced on a large scale to produce longer-chain molecules than methane.

An example of large-scale coal-to-methane gasification is the Great Plains Synfuels plant, started in 1984 in Beulah, North Dakota as a way to develop abundant local resources of low-grade , a resource that is otherwise difficult to transport for its weight, ash content, low calorific value and propensity to spontaneous combustion during storage and transport. A number of similar plants exist around the world, although mostly these plants are targeted towards the production of long chain alkanes for use as , , or feedstock to other processes.

Power to methane is a technology that uses to produce hydrogen from water by and uses the Sabatier reaction to combine hydrogen with to produce methane.


Laboratory synthesis
Methane can be produced by of or a methyl such as methylmagnesium chloride. It can also be made from anhydrous and dry , mixed and heated above 300 °C (with as byproduct). In practice, a requirement for pure methane can easily be fulfilled by steel gas bottle from standard gas suppliers.


Occurrence
Methane is the major component of natural gas, about 87% by volume. The major source of methane is extraction from geological deposits known as natural gas fields, with coal seam gas extraction becoming a major source (see coal bed methane extraction, a method for extracting methane from a deposit, while enhanced coal bed methane recovery is a method of recovering methane from non-mineable coal seams). It is associated with other fuels, and sometimes accompanied by and . Methane is produced at shallow levels (low pressure) by anaerobic of and reworked methane from deep under the Earth's surface. In general, the that generate natural gas are buried deeper and at higher temperatures than those that contain .

Methane is generally transported in bulk by pipeline in its natural gas form, or by LNG carriers in its liquefied form; few countries transport it by truck.


Atmospheric methane and climate change
Methane is an important , responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the industrial revolution.

Methane has a global warming potential (GWP) of 29.8 ± 11 compared to (potential of 1) over a 100-year period, and 82.5 ± 25.8 over a 20-year period. This means that, for example, a leak of one tonne of methane is equivalent to emitting 82.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Burning methane and producing carbon dioxide also reduces the greenhouse gas impact compared to simply venting methane to the atmosphere. As methane is gradually converted into carbon dioxide (and water) in the atmosphere, these values include the climate forcing from the carbon dioxide produced from methane over these timescales.

Annual global methane emissions are currently approximately 580 Mt, 40% of which is from natural sources and the remaining 60% originating from human activity, known as anthropogenic emissions. The largest anthropogenic source is , responsible for around one quarter of emissions, closely followed by the , which includes emissions from coal, oil, natural gas and biofuels.

in the world's atmosphere have ranged between 300 and 400 nmol/mol during glacial periods commonly known as , and between 600 and 700 nmol/mol during the warm periods. A 2012 NASA website said the oceans were a potential important source of Arctic methane, but more recent studies associate increasing methane levels as caused by human activity.

Global monitoring of atmospheric methane concentrations began in the 1980s. The Earth's atmospheric methane concentration has increased 160% since preindustrial levels in the mid-18th century. In 2013, atmospheric methane accounted for 20% of the total radiative forcing from all of the long-lived and globally mixed greenhouse gases.IPCC. Between 2011 and 2019 the annual average increase of methane in the atmosphere was 1866 ppb. From 2015 to 2019 sharp rises in levels of atmospheric methane were recorded.

In 2019, the atmospheric methane concentration was higher than at any time in the last 800,000 years. As stated in the AR6 of the IPCC, "Since 1750, increases in (47%) and (156%) concentrations far exceed, and increases in (23%) are similar to, the natural multi-millennial changes between glacial and interglacial periods over at least the past 800,000 years (very high confidence)".

In February 2020, it was reported that fugitive emissions and from the fossil fuel industry may have been significantly underestimated. The largest annual increase occurred in 2021 with the overwhelming percentage caused by human activity.

Climate change can increase atmospheric methane levels by increasing methane production in natural ecosystems, forming a climate change feedback.Carrington, Damian (July 21, 2020) First active leak of sea-bed methane discovered in Antarctica , The Guardian Another explanation for the rise in methane emissions could be a slowdown of the chemical reaction that removes methane from the atmosphere.

Over 100 countries have signed the Global Methane Pledge, launched in 2021, promising to cut their methane emissions by 30% by 2030. This could avoid 0.2 °C of warming globally by 2050, although there have been calls for higher commitments in order to reach this target. The International Energy Agency's 2022 report states "the most cost-effective opportunities for methane abatement are in the energy sector, especially in oil and gas operations".


Clathrates
Methane clathrates (also known as methane hydrates) are solid cages of water molecules that trap single molecules of methane. Significant reservoirs of methane clathrates have been found in arctic permafrost and along continental margins beneath the within the gas clathrate stability zone, located at high pressures (1 to 100 MPa; lower end requires lower temperature) and low temperatures (< 15 °C; upper end requires higher pressure). Methane clathrates can form from biogenic methane, thermogenic methane, or a mix of the two. These deposits are both a potential source of methane fuel as well as a potential contributor to global warming.Miller, G. Tyler (2007). Sustaining the Earth: An Integrated Approach. U.S.: Thomson Advantage Books, p. 160. The global mass of carbon stored in gas clathrates is still uncertain and has been estimated as high as 12,500 carbon and as low as 500 Gt carbon. The estimate has declined over time with a most recent estimate of ≈1800 Gt carbon. A large part of this uncertainty is due to our knowledge gap in sources and sinks of methane and the distribution of methane clathrates at the global scale. For example, a source of methane was discovered relatively recently in an in the Arctic. Some climate models suggest that today's methane emission regime from the ocean floor is potentially similar to that during the period of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum () around 55.5 million years ago, although there are no data indicating that methane from clathrate dissociation currently reaches the atmosphere. Arctic methane release from and seafloor methane clathrates is a potential consequence and further cause of ; this is known as the clathrate gun hypothesis. Data from 2016 indicate that Arctic permafrost thaws faster than predicted.


Public safety and the environment
Methane "degrades air quality and adversely impacts human health, agricultural yields, and ecosystem productivity".

Methane is extremely flammable and may form mixtures with air. Methane gas explosions are responsible for many deadly mining disasters. A methane gas explosion was the cause of the Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in on April 5, 2010, killing 29. Natural gas accidental release has also been a major focus in the field of safety engineering, due to past accidental releases that concluded in the formation of disasters.

The 2015–2016 methane gas leak in Aliso Canyon, California was considered to be the worst in terms of its environmental effect in American history. It was also described as more damaging to the environment than Deepwater Horizon's leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

In May 2023 published a report blaming as the worst in the world for methane super emitting. The data collected by Kayrros researchers indicate that two large Turkmen fossil fuel fields 2.6 million and 1.8 million of methane in 2022 alone, pumping the equivalent of 366 million tonnes into the atmosphere, surpassing the annual emissions of the .

Methane is also an if the oxygen concentration is reduced to below about 16% by displacement, as most people can tolerate a reduction from 21% to 16% without ill effects. The concentration of methane at which asphyxiation risk becomes significant is much higher than the 5–15% concentration in a flammable or explosive mixture. Methane off-gas can penetrate the interiors of buildings near and expose occupants to significant levels of methane. Some buildings have specially engineered recovery systems below their basements to actively capture this gas and vent it away from the building.


Extraterrestrial methane

Interstellar medium
Methane is abundant in many parts of the Solar System and potentially could be harvested on the surface of another Solar System body (in particular, using methane production from local materials found on or Titan), providing fuel for a return journey.

, the of methane, is also known to exist in interstellar space. Its mechanism of formation is not fully understood.


Mars
Methane has been detected on all planets of the and most of the larger moons. With the possible exception of Mars, it is believed to have come from abiotic processes.

The Curiosity rover has documented seasonal fluctuations of atmospheric methane levels on Mars. These fluctuations peaked at the end of the Martian summer at 0.6 parts per billion.

Methane has been proposed as a possible rocket propellant on future Mars missions due in part to the possibility of synthesizing it on the planet by in situ resource utilization. An adaptation of the Sabatier methanation reaction may be used with a mixed catalyst bed and a reverse water-gas shift in a single reactor to produce methane and from the raw materials available on Mars, utilizing water from the and in the Martian atmosphere.

Methane could be produced by a non-biological process called involving water, carbon dioxide, and the mineral , which is known to be common on Mars.


Titan
Methane has been detected in vast abundance on Titan, the largest moon of . It comprises a significant portion of its atmosphere and also exists in a liquid form on its surface, where it comprises the majority of the liquid in Titan's vast lakes of hydrocarbons, the of which is believed to be almost pure methane in composition.

The presence of stable lakes of liquid methane on Titan, as well as the surface of Titan being highly chemically active and rich in organic compounds, has led scientists to consider the possibility of life existing within Titan's lakes, using methane as a solvent in the place of water for Earth-based life

(2025). 9780309104845, The National Academies Press. .
and using hydrogen in the atmosphere to derive energy with .


History
The discovery of methane is credited to physicist , who characterized numerous properties including its flammability limit and origin from decaying organic matter.Volta, Alessandro (1777) Lettere del Signor Don Alessandro Volta ... Sull' Aria Inflammable Nativa Delle Paludi Letters, Milan, Italy: Giuseppe Marelli.

Volta was initially motivated by reports of inflammable air present in marshes by his friend Father Carlo Guiseppe Campi. While on a fishing trip to straddling and in November 1776, he noticed the presence of bubbles in the nearby marshes and decided to investigate. Volta collected the gas rising from the marsh and demonstrated that the gas was inflammable.

(2016). 9781137492227, Springer. .

Volta notes similar observations of inflammable air were present previously in scientific literature, including a letter written by Benjamin Franklin.

Following the Felling mine disaster of 1812 in which 92 men perished, Sir established that the feared was in fact largely methane.

The name "methane" was coined in 1866 by the German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann.; see footnote on pp. 57–58McBride, James Michael (1999) "Development of systematic names for the simple alkanes". Chemistry Department, Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut). The name was derived from methanol.


Etymology
Etymologically, the word methane is coined from the chemical suffix " ", which denotes substances belonging to the alkane family; and the word methyl, which is derived from the German Methyl (1840) or directly from the French méthyle, which is a back-formation from the French méthylène (corresponding to English "methylene"), the root of which was coined by Jean-Baptiste Dumas and Eugène Péligot in 1834 from the Greek μέθυ méthy (wine) (related to English "mead") and ὕλη hýlē (meaning "wood"). The radical is named after this because it was first detected in , an alcohol first isolated by distillation of wood. The chemical suffix -ane is from the coordinating chemical suffix -ine which is from Latin feminine suffix -ina which is applied to represent abstracts. The coordination of "-ane", "", "", etc. was proposed in 1866 by German chemist August Wilhelm von Hofmann.


Abbreviations
The abbreviation -C can mean the mass of carbon contained in a mass of methane, and the mass of methane is always 1.33 times the mass of -C. -C can also mean the methane-carbon ratio, which is 1.33 by mass. Methane at scales of the atmosphere is commonly measured in teragrams (Tg ) or millions of metric tons (MMT ), which mean the same thing. Other standard units are also used, such as nanomole (nmol, one billionth of a mole), mole (mol), , and .


See also

Explanatory notes

Citations

Cited sources


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