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Preparation of Methane

Preparation The method of making methane is similar to the common methods of making alkanes group. Some of these methods are used to make methane in the laboratory. Following are the major laboratory methods of manufacturing methane.

Sodium Acetate

Methane gas can be made in the laboratory by heating a mixture of anhydrous sodium acetate and soda lime. In this mixture sodium acetate and soda lime are taken in about 1:2 ratio.

CH₃COONa + NaOH → Na₂CO₃ + CH₄

Chemical Properties

Methane is the first member of the alkane group and exhibits common properties of the alkane group. On chlorination, a mixture of methyl chloride is obtained. It cannot be nitrated or sulfurized. On complete combustion, this gas produces carbon dioxide gas and water vapour.

On incomplete combustion, carbon mono oxide gas or carbon black is formed. Methane alcohol and formaldehyde can be formed upon oxidizing it in the presence of a catalyst. Since it does not show yogic isomerism, it is not possible to synchronize. Its aromatization or heat decomposition also cannot be done.

Methane Gas Uses

Methane (CH₄) has various uses across different industries. Here's a list of common applications:

Natural Gas Fuel:

Methane is the primary component of natural gas, a widely used fuel for heating, cooking, and electricity generation.

Industrial Feedstock:

Methane is a feedstock in the production of chemicals such as ammonia, methanol, and various organic compounds.

Transportation Fuel:

Compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), both derived from methane, are used as alternative fuels for vehicles.

Electricity Generation:

Methane is burned to generate electricity in gas-fired power plants.

Heating:

Methane is commonly used for residential and industrial heating due to its high energy content.

Cooking:

Methane is widely used as a clean-burning fuel for cooking in households and restaurants.

Hydrogen Production:

Methane is a source of hydrogen through processes like steam methane reforming, a common method in industrial hydrogen production.

Metal and Glass Production:

Methane is used as a reducing agent in the production of metals like iron and in the glass industry.

Methane Hydrates:

Research is ongoing into extracting methane from methane hydrates found in permafrost and deep-sea sediments as a potential future energy source.

Biogas Production:

Methane is produced during the anaerobic digestion of organic waste in landfills, sewage treatment plants, and biogas digesters.

Space Exploration:

Methane can be used as rocket fuel, and its potential for future space exploration is being explored.

Laboratory and Analytical Applications:

Methane is used as a calibration gas in analytical instruments, such as gas chromatographs.

Greenhouse Gas Mitigation:

The controlled burning of methane from waste sites (flaring) is used to mitigate the release of this potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

While methane has many practical applications, its role as a greenhouse gas is also a significant environmental concern, contributing to global warming. Efforts to capture and utilize methane emissions are ongoing to reduce its impact on the environment.

Methane gas