- What is gas?
- Components of gas
- What does gas smell like?
- Is gas heavier or lighter than air?
- The dangerous, flammable, explosive properties of gas
- Using gas safely when cooking
What is gas?
Gas is a mixture of hydrocarbon gases, light, in gaseous form. Gas exists in nature in oil or gas fields and can also be produced in refineries during the crude oil distillation process.
The full name of gas is “Liquefied Petroleum Gas” or simply referred to as “LPG.”
Gas is called liquefied petroleum gas because these gases can be liquefied at normal temperatures by increasing moderate pressure, or at normal pressure by using cooling techniques to reduce temperature.
The English name for gas is Liquefied Petroleum Gas; abbreviated: LPG
The phenomenon of liquefied gas
Under atmospheric pressure and normal temperature, gas exists in gaseous form. For convenience in transportation, gas is compressed under high pressure into liquid form.
1 kg of liquid in a cylinder, when released, forms 250 liters of gas.
What are the components of gas?
Gas in households and industries mainly consists of:
- Propane with the chemical formula C3H8
- Butane with the chemical formula C4H10
- And some other components
What does gas smell like?
In its pure state, gas is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and non-toxic.
However, in reality, gas has a smell because manufacturers add a characteristic odorant to help detect gas leaks when they occur.
Concernedly, this odorant is harmful to health if frequently exposed to excessive doses.
Is gas heavier or lighter than air?
The dangerous, flammable, explosive properties of gas
The use of gas or gas in business and daily life to ensure fire safety is an alarming issue in today’s society.
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When escaping from the container, gas turns into gaseous form, making it very difficult to store. Just a small percentage of the gas mixture (2.37% for Propane and 1.86% for Butane) in a flammable environment can create an explosive mixture.
The dangerous flammability limits of gas are very wide, calculated by % volume as follows:
| Component | Lower concentration limit (%) |
Upper concentration limit (%) |
| Butane | 1.86 | 8.41 |
| Propane | 2.37 | 9.50 |
The temperature of gas when burning is very high, reaching from 1900°C to 1950°C. Therefore, it can easily burn people and livestock while causing fire spread, making firefighting difficult (the spread rate of Butane is 0.38m/s and for Propane is 0.46m/s).
So, how to use gas safely:
Using gas safely when cooking
Gas is used in many fields. Since the readers are mainly homemakers, in this article, Kocher will only guide the safe use of gas in everyday cooking.
First, homemakers need to clearly understand the standards of a newly purchased gas cylinder as follows:
- Place the gas cylinder upright, in a well-ventilated area or in a kitchen cabinet, at least 1.5m away from potential fire sources (electricity, open flames)
- Equip the stove, gas cylinder, and related accessories to ensure safety standards, securely fasten the connections between the gas line and the cylinder and stove.
- When replacing a new gas cylinder, require the dealer’s staff to check for gas leaks at the positions: Cylinder neck, pressure regulator, gas line…) using soapy water.
- When cooking, keep an eye on it, do not place flammable materials such as rags, plastic items near the stove. After cooking, close the gas release valve on the cylinder first, then turn off all flames on the stove and nearby heat sources.
- In the cooking area, equip firefighting equipment such as a water container, fire extinguisher.
- Remember to turn off the pressure regulator and close the cylinder valve when not in use.
- Do not disassemble or repair the gas cylinder valve on your own.
- When detecting a gas leak, immediately close the gas release valve, turn off all flames on the stoves; do not turn on electrical switches; open all doors and windows of the kitchen; prevent outsiders from entering the kitchen area; use soapy water to apply to the gas line, gas cylinder to find the leak location. Find every way to seal the gas leak (preferably use bar soap); immediately report to the gas supplier, and technician to handle it.
Above are the most comprehensive knowledge about gas as well as notes for safe gas use in daily life for households. If you have any questions, please leave a comment so we can share and answer you. Wishing every family always has a warm, safe, and happy kitchen space.
