Propane - Definition


Propane - Definition

**Properties**
General
Name	Propane
Lewis Structure: H H H \| \| \| H-C-C-C-H \| \| \| H H H
Chemical formula	C H₃CH₂CH₃ or C₃H₈
Formula weight	44.10 g/mol
Synonyms	Dimethylmethane, LPG, Propyl Hydride
CAS number	74-98-6
UN number	1978
Phase behavior
Melting point	85.5 K (−187.6 �C)
Boiling point	231.1 K (−42 �C)
Triple point	85 K (−188 �C) 169 µPa
Critical point	369.9 K (96.9 �C) 4.25 MPa
Δ_subH	28.5 kJ/mol
Δ_fusH	3.52 kJ/mol
Δ_fusS	J/(mol�K)
Δ_vapH	19.4 kJ/mol
Solubility	0.1 g/dm³
Liquid properties
Δ_fH⁰_liquid	-120 kJ/mol
S⁰_liquid	171 J/(mol�K)
C_p	98.3 J/(mol�K)
Density	582 kg/m³
Gas properties
Δ_fH⁰_gas	−105 kJ/mol
S⁰_gas	? J/(mol�K)
C_p	73.6 J/(mol�K)
Safety
Ingestion	Nausea, vomiting, internal hemorrhage.
Inhalation	Rapid breathing & heart rate. Headaches, mood disturbance, conufsion and seisures may occur. Danger of cardiac arrest in severe cases.
Skin	(Frostbite on exposure to cryogenic liquid)
Flash point	−104 �C
Autoignition temperature	450 �C
Explosive limits	2.1–9.5%
More info
Properties	NIST WebBook (http://webbook.nist.gov/cgi/cbook.cgi?ID=C74986&Units=SI)
MSDS	Hazardous Chemical Database (http://ull.chemistry.uakron.edu/erd/chemicals1/7/6974.html)
SI units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, standard conditions were used. Disclaimer and references

A three-carbon alkane, propane is sometimes derived from other petroleum products during oil or natural gas processing.

When commonly sold as fuel it is also known as liquified petroleum gas (LPG or LP gas) and is a mixture of propane with smaller amounts of propylene, butane and butylene, plus ethyl mercaptan as an odorant to allow the normally odorless propane to be smelled. It is used as fuel in cooking on many barbecues and portable stoves and in motor vehicles. Propane powers some buses, forklifts, and taxis and is used for heat and cooking in recreational vehicles and campers. In many rural areas of the US, propane is also used in furnaces, water heaters, laundry dryers, and other heat-producing appliances. Delivery trucks fill up large tanks that are permanently installed on the property (sometimes called pigs) or exchange bottles of propane.

Another use of propane is the application as propellant for aerosol sprays, especially after the ban of CFCs.

See also