Propane = Firewater
Elite Gas – The Amazing Facts Propane the fire that makes WATER!
First things first, the molecular Carbon in Propane combines (Oxidizes) with its good friend Oxygen and together they become bigger than the both of them, now we call them Carbon Dioxide. Then, a formerly innocent bystander Hydrogen combines (Oxidizes) with Oxygen and creates:
Who’d have guessed WATER! This Fire Makes Good Water!
A Chemist would say it this way:
C3H8 (g) + 5O2 (g) = 3CO2 (g)+ 4H2O (g) + energy
propane +oxygen = carbon dioxide + water + energy
What exactly is this Propane stuff, is it a “gas” or a “liquid” or does it really matter?
Physically, Propane can be described this way, it’s both Colourless and Odourless and non-toxic. Sounds pretty boring so far, but don’t underestimate its fiery potential. It gets excited pretty easily and when it’s done combining with Oxygen and releasing heat (say for cooking) it also shed some water!
As a matter of fact when the temperature rises all the way up to a toasty -44 degrees Fahrenheit, our friend PROPANE gets so over stimulated it becomes a… GAS! When it’s lounging around say as a lazy liquid – (down below -44 degrees) its lighter than water, as a matter of fact, its so opening minded that while a gallon of water weighs 8.33 lbs but a gallon of propane only weighs 4.24 lbs. Not so heavy!
But it’s kind of choosy when it’s ready to BURN, propane must be present in the mixture of air and propane 2.15 and 9.6% of the propane/air mixture for combustion to occur. If the mixture is not within that range then deadly carbon monoxide will be created, the product of incomplete combustion. We’ve heard a lot about the temperature of combustion lately and the fact is that the temperature of propane combustion is a toasty 3595 degrees Fahrenheit. And for those of you counting OCTANE the Octane value of propane is an engine friendly at over 100.
Propane is listed as an approved clean fuel by the US Government energy policy makers and energy bodies. The South West Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, has produced various papers on emissions and determined that propane use, reduces smog, as much as 70 percent. And although you may not have noticed the EPA has certified many propane fuel vehicles as Ultra Low Emission Vehicles under the latest standard.