Propane: 8 Facts That You Probably Didn’t Know
If you’re a James Oxygen propane delivery customer (or plan to become one), you’re probably already aware of many of the great benefits propane has to offer as one of the most versatile and powerful sources of home energy around.
But how well do you really know propane gas? Here are 8 facts you might not know about this clean, green alternative fuel.
8 facts about propane
- Propane was initially discovered by Edmund Ronalds in 1864 while he was conducting research on Pennsylvania crude oil. But the commercial use of propane wasn’t fully realized until nearly 50 years later, when Dr. Walter O. Snelling – a safety and explosives expert best known for his underwater explosive innovations used in the construction of the Panama Canal – secured a patent.
- Propane is a by-product of natural gas processing – the method used for most of our domestic propane production – and petroleum refining; its chemical formula is C3H8.
- In its natural state, propane has no odor; an odorant (usually ethyl mercaptan, which smells like rotten eggs) is added to make it easier to detect a potential dangerous propane leak.
- Propane is 270 times more compact as a liquid than as a gas, which is why it is stored and transported as a liquid and converted to its gaseous form during combustion.
- Propane won’t ignite when combined with air until the source of ignition reaches 940 degrees Fahrenheit – which is why it’s safe to transport in tanks.
- Propane is one of the lightest, simplest hydrocarbons in existence. As a result, it is one of the cleanest burning of all fuels – so clean, in fact, that propane is not considered a greenhouse gas. In fact, propane is the only alternative fuel listed in the 1990 Clean Air Act and the National Energy Policy Act of 1992.
- The propane fuel you buy is not 100 percent propane gas; it’s about 90 percent propane plus odorant, propylene, and butane.
- Nearly 90 percent of the U.S. propane supply is produced domestically; almost three-quarters of the remaining 10 percent is produced in Canada or Mexico.
Propane – discover its many uses and benefits for your western North Carolina home or business. Contact us today to learn more, or to schedule a propane delivery in Hickory, Boone, North Wilkesboro and Marion, NC or their surrounding areas.
