Methane
A very important hydrocarbon.
(PRWEB) February 9, 2005 -- Recently, there has been much mention of methane
being found on Saturn's moon Titan as well as on the planet Mars. What is
important about this finding is that the methane could either have been created
by biogenic (living) sources such as bacteria or by abiogenic (non-living)
sources such as volcanoes. Either source has its very own significant scientific
importance. If the methane is biogenic, it would prove that there is life
somewhere else besides on earth. If the methane is abiogenic, it would prove
that methane can come from something non-living instead of living. Thus, any
outcome from Titan and/or Mars is important.
Methane is pure natural gas. Methane (CH4) is a hydrocarbon (hydrogen
and carbon) compound with four hydrogen (H) atoms that are attached to one
carbon (C) atom. It is a colorless, odorless and flammable gas that burns with a
blue flame. It is the simplest, lightest, cleanest and most abundant hydrocarbon
found in nature. It is also the only hydrocarbon that is a renewable resource
when it is biogenically (naturally) made by methanogenic (methane producing)
bacteria that decompose organic matter under anaerobic (oxygenless) conditions.
Besides natural gas, methane is found in biogas, swamps, coalbeds,
landfills, hydrates, shales and sandstones. Reserves of methane hydrates alone
account for a very great and astounding 400,000,000,000,000,000,000* cubic feet
of methane gas worldwide compared to reserves of 5,000,000,000,000,000* cubic
feet of natural gas worldwide (*U.S.D.O.E.). Methane (CH4) is also the main
source of commercial hydrogen production since it contains twice as many
hydrogen atoms per molecule than water (H2O). Methane is also being used in
vehicles for fuel as compressed natural gas (CNG) and as liquefied natural gas
(LNG) since it burns cleanly only producing carbon dioxide (CO2) and water
(H2O). It is also being used for making low sulfur synthetic fuels through the
process of liquefaction (changing a gas into a liquid).
Given all of the
above facts, methane can only increase in importance since many believe that
methane is the most practical, flexible and viable alternative fuel.
For
more information, visit www.methane.com by clicking on this link.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb206309.htm