METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULE

carbonhydrogen

hydrogen

hydrogen hydrogen

METHANE MOLECULE• Common names :– Methyl hydride– Carbon tetrachloride– Marsh gas

METHANE MOLECULE• Properties:• Molar mass; 16.04 g/mol• Bond angle=109.5°,Bond distance=108.70pm• Boiling point= -161.6°C,colorless gas,• Highly flammable• Green house gas (high global warming

potential)• Natural gas

METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULETypical Composition of Natural Gas

Methane CH4 70-90%Ethane C2H6 0-20%Propane C3H8Butane C4H10Carbon Dioxide CO2 0-8%Oxygen O2 0-0.2%Nitrogen N2 0-5%Hydrogen sulphide H2S 0-5%Rare gases A, He, Ne, Xe trace

METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULE• Methane concentration in the atmosphere.– During glacial period: 300 and 400 nmol/mol– During interglacial periods: 600 to 700 nmol/mol– In 2010: 1850 nmol/mol (a level described as

being higher than at any time in the previous 400,000 years)

– Net lifetime is about 10 years– Removal from the atmosphere:

CH4 + OH ---> CO2 + water

METHANE MOLECULE• Sources of methane:– Methane clathrates in the ocean floor (large

amount of methane is trapped within a crystal structure of water, forming a solid similar to ice.)

– Earth’s crust thru methanogenesis (formation of methane by microbes known as methanogens)

– Mud volcanoes– Landfill– Livestock (ruminants) from enteric fermentation

METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULE

METHANE MOLECULE• Reactions of methane– Theoretical formaldehyde reaction• CH4 ----> H2CO

–Removal from the atmosphere• CH4 + OH ---> CO2 + water

–As fuel• CH4 + 2O2 --> CO2 + 2 H2O ∆H = - 891

KJ/mole

METHANE MOLECULE• Uses:• In some cities, methane is piped into homes

for domestic heating.• It can be used as vehicle fuel.

METHANE MOLECULE• Uses:• In some cities, methane is piped into homes

for domestic heating.• It can be used as vehicle fuel.

METHANE MOLECULE• Uses:• In some cities, methane is piped into homes

for domestic heating.• It can be used as vehicle fuel.• NASA is conducting study on its potential as

rocket fuel.• There has been coal mines with its methane

successfully converted to electricity.

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METHANE MOLECULE

• Correction: September 21, 2008 • Because of an editing error, an article last

Sunday about the conversion of methane at landfills into energy misstated the process used to create power at the Covanta Energy Corporation’s American Ref-Fuel incinerator in Hempstead, N.Y. The power results from the combustion of solid waste, not from the capturing of methane.