Time Out

[rmd3]

Ralph asked

what is the difference between Natural gas and methane besides age?

One comes from cows on the surface of the earth. The other comes from cows under the surface of the earth, right?

[rlortie]

rmd3,

I belielive your description is valid!

Methane, also marsh gas, gas composed of carbon and hydrogen with formula CH4, the first member of the paraffin or alkane series of hydrocarbons. It is lighter than air, colorless, odorless, and flammable. It occurs in natural gas, as firedamp in coal mines, as a by-product of petroleum refining, and as a product of decomposition of matter in swamps. It is a major component in the atmosphere of the outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In the earth's atmosphere it apparently plays a role in the formation of noctilucent clouds (see Cloud). Methane can be produced by the hydrogenation of carbon or carbon oxide, by the action of water on aluminum carbide, or by heating sodium acetate with alkali. Methane is valuable as a fuel and in the production of hydrogen, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, acetylene, and formaldehyde.
Methane melts at -182.5° C (-296.5° F) and boils at -161.5° C (-258.7° F).

"Methane," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 97 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

[ken_behrendt]

All joking aside, there are several advantages to using methane as a fuel.

For example, the mercury that poisoned me from the middle of 2004 through to the beginning of this year was originally released from coal that was burned in electrical power plants west of the east coast of the USA. That mercury was eventually brought down by rain into ponds and lakes were it settle down to the bacteria laden mud at the bottom of these bodies of water. There, the bacteria converted it to methyl mercury which then moved up the food chain until it bioaccumulated in the albacore tuna that formerly was practically the only meat in my diet. It's bioaccumulation in my tissues was then only a matter of time.

Methane is now the preferred fuel for electrical power plants that have to combust a fossil fuel in order to generate electricity. It burns very cleanly and releases almost no carbon monoxide or heavy metals. It does, however, constantly add more carbon (from the carbon dioxide combustion product) into our atmosphere which, over time, will worsen Global Warming.


Anyway, the demand for methane by power companies eager to meet the various new Clean Air Act standards for emissions is one of the reasons that the price of gas for home heating is constantly rising. I heat my home with gas and have noted that prices have almost doubled in the last few years. I'm hoping that there will be more research into synthetic methods to mass produce this simple hydrocarbon fuel in the future.


ken

[winkle]

ah the miracle of modern science

[primemignonite]

Where is Mr. Tim, when he is most needed?

James

[Wheeler]

I don't know where Mr. Tim is but Ralph's lawn needs mowing.
What ever happened to Jonathan, and SeaWasp, where is buckboard,and Susnaspi or soupy the sailer?
Anyone seen my old friend John?
Joanna seems to be gone along with BibleAl.
The whole place seems like Coney Island in Winter.