Methane is easily ignited. Under prolonged exposure to fire or intense heat the containers may rupture violently and rocket.
Methane is used as feed stock to chemical industry and is the main constituent of the fuel natural gas .
Chemical, physical and thermal properties of methane:
Values are given for gas phase at 25 °C /77 °F / 298 K and 1 atm., if not other phase, temperature or pressure given.
For full table with Imperial Units - rotate the screen!
Property | Value | Unit | Value | Unit | Value | Unit | Value | Unit | |||
Autoignition temperature | 810 | K | 537 | °C | 999 | °F | |||||
Boiling Point | 111.51 | K | -161.6 | °C | -259.0 | °F | |||||
Critical density | 10.139 | mol/dm 3 | 162.7 | kg/m 3 | 0.3156 | slug/ft 3 | 10.15 | lb/ft 3 | |||
Critical Pressure | 4.5992 | MPa=MN/m2 | 45.99 | bar | 45.39 | atm | 667.1 | psi=lb f /in 2 | |||
Critical Temperature | 190.56 | K | -82.59 | °C | -116.66 | °F | |||||
Critical Volume | 98.63 | cm 3 /mol | 0.00615 | m 3 /kg | 3.169 | ft 3 /slug | 0.0985 | ft 3 /lb | |||
Density, gas | 41.0 | mol/m 3 | 0.657 | kg/m 3 | 0.00127 | slug/ft 3 | 0.0410 | lb/ft 3 | |||
Density, gas at STP; 32°F/0°C 1 atm | 44.7 | mol/m 3 | 0.7168 | kg/m 3 | 0.00139 | slug/ft 3 | 0.0447 | lb/ft 3 | |||
Density, liquid at -260 °F/-162°C | 26429 | mol/m 3 | 422.6 | kg/m 3 | 0.820 | slug/ft 3 | 26.38 | lb/ft 3 | |||
Flammable, gas and liquid | yes | ||||||||||
Flash point | 85 | K | -188 | °C | -306 | °F | |||||
Gas constant - R | 518.28 | J/kg K | 0.1440 | Wh/(kg K) | 3099 | [ft lbf/slug °R] | 96.329 | [ft lbf/lb °R] | |||
Gibbs free energy of formation | -51 | kJ/mol | -3179 | kJ/kg | -1367 | Btu/lb | |||||
Heat (latent) of vaporation | 8.19 | kJ/mol | 511 | kJ/kg | 219.48 | Btu/lb | |||||
Specific heat, Cp | 35.8 | J/mol K | 2.232 | kJ/kg K | 0.533 | Btu/lb°F or cal/g K | |||||
Specific Heat, Cv | 27.4 | J/mol K | 1.709 | kJ/kg K | 0.408 | Btu/lb°F or cal/g K | |||||
Heat of combustion | -890.8 | kJ/mol | -55528 | kJ/kg | -23.9 | Btu/lb | |||||
Heat(enthalpy) of formation | -75.00 | kJ/mol | -4675 | kJ/kg | -2010 | Btu/lb | |||||
log KOW (Octanol/Water Partition Coefficient) | 1.09 | ||||||||||
Melting point | 90.55 | K | -182.6 | °C | -296.7 | °F | |||||
Molecular Weight | 16.042 | g/mol | 0.03537 | lb/mol | |||||||
Solubility in water | 0.022 | mg/ml | |||||||||
Sound velocity | 446 | m/s | |||||||||
Specific Gravity (density relativ to air), 0°C/32°F | 0.554 | ||||||||||
Specific Heat Ratio - Cp/Cv | 1.31 | ||||||||||
Specific Volume | 0.0244 | m 3 /mol | 1.52 | m 3 /kg | 784.44 | ft 3 /slug | 24.38 | ft 3 /lb | |||
Standard molar entropy, S° | 186 | J/mol K | 11.59 | kJ/kg K | 2.77 | Btu/lb °F | |||||
Surface tension at -161 °C / -258 °F | 14 | dynes/cm | 0.014 | N/m | |||||||
Thermal Conductivity | 0.0339 | W/m°C | 0.019587 | Btu/hr ft °F | |||||||
Triple point pressure | 0.011696 | MPa=MN/m 2 | 0.117 | bar | 0.115 | atm | 1.70 | psi=lbf/in 2 | |||
Triple point temperature | 90.69 | K | -182.456 | °C | -296.42 | °F | |||||
Vapor (saturation) pressure | 62.12 | MPa=MN/m 2 | 466000 | mm Hg | 613.07 | atm | 9010 | psi=lbf/in 2 | |||
Vapor (saturation) pressure at 38 °C /100 °F | 34.47 | MPa=MN/m 2 | 258574 | mm Hg | 340.18 | atm | 4999 | psi=lbf/in 2 | |||
Viscosity, dynamic (absolute) | 0.01107 | cP | 7.44 | [lb m /ft s*10 -6 ] | 0.23 | [lb f s/ft 2 *10 -6 ] | |||||
Viscosity, kinematic | 17.08 | cSt | 183.8 | [ft2/s*10-6] |
Follow the links below to get values for the listed properties of methane at varying pressure and temperature :
See also more about atmospheric pressure , and STP - Standard Temperature and Pressure & NTP - Normal Temperature and Pressure ,
as well as Thermophysical properties of: Acetone , Acetylene , Air , Ammonia , Argon , Benzene , Butane , Carbon dioxide , Carbon monoxide , Ethane , Ethanol , Ethylene , Helium , Hydrogen , Hydrogen sulfide , Methanol , Nitrogen , Oxygen , Pentane , Propane , Toluene , Water and Heavy water, D 2 O .
Methane is a gas at standard conditions. However, at low temperature and/or high pressures the gas becomes a liquid or a solid.
The methane phase diagram shows the phase behavior with changes in temperature and pressure. The curve between the critical point and the triple point shows the methane boiling point with changes in pressure.
At the critical point there is no change of state when pressure is increased or if heat is added.
The triple point of a substance is the temperature and pressure at which the three phases (gas, liquid, and solid) of that substance coexist in thermodynamic equilibrium.
The study of fluids - liquids and gases. Involving velocity, pressure, density and temperature as functions of space and time.
Material properties of gases, fluids and solids - densities, specific heats, viscosities and more.
Work, heat and energy systems.
Chemical, physical and thermal properties of acetone, also called 2-propanone, dimethyl ketone and pyroacetic acid. Phase diagram included.
Thermal properties of air at different temperatures - density, viscosity, critical temperature and pressure, triple point, enthalpi and entropi, thermal conductivity and diffusivity and more.
Chemical, Physical and Thermal Properties of Ammonia. Phase diagram included.
Chemical, physical and thermal properties of benzene, also called benzol. Phase diagram included.
Chemical, physical and thermal properties of carbon dioxide. Phase diagram included.
Heat of combustion (energy content) for som common substances - with examples how to calculate heat of combustion.
Cryogenic properties as density, boiling points and heat of evaporation for fluids like hydrogen, methane, oxygen, nitrogen, fluorine and helium.
Chemical, Physical and Thermal Properties of Ethane - C2H6.
Chemical, physical and thermal properties of ethylene, also called ethene, acetene and olefiant gas. Phase diagram included.
Combustion heat values for gases like acetylene, blast furnace gas, ethane, biogas and more - Gross and Net values.
Higher and lower calorific values (heating values) for fuels like coke, oil, wood, hydrogen and others.
Densities and molecular weights of common gases like acetylene, air, methane, nitrogen, oxygen and others.
Absolute (dynamic) viscosities of some common gases.
Flame and explosion limits for gases like propane, methane, butane, acetylene and more.
Ratios of specific heat for gases with constant pressure and volume processes.
Thermodynamic properties of heavy water (D2O) like density, melting temperature, boiling temperature, latent heat of fusion, latent heat of evaporation, critical temperature and more.
Online calculator, figures and tables showing dynamic and kinematic viscosity of methane, CH4, at varying temperature and pressure - Imperial and SI Units.
Online calculator, figures and tables showing density and specific weight of methane, CH4, at temperatures ranging from -160 to 725 °C (-260 to 1300 °F) at atmospheric and higher pressure - Imperial and SI Units.
Convert between liquid and gaseous LNG and Methane units.
Figures and table showing changes in Prandtl number for methane with changes in temperature and pressure.
Online calculator, figures and table showing thermal conductivity of methane, CH4, at temperatures ranging from -160 to 725 °C (-260 to 1300 °F) at atmospheric and higher pressure - Imperial and SI Units.
Specific heat of Methane Gas - CH4 - at temperatures ranging 200 - 1100 K.
Chemical, physical and thermal properties of methanol, CH3OH (also called carbinol, wood alcohol, hydroxy methyl and methyl alcohol). Phase diagram included.
Definition and molecular weight (molar mass) of some common substances.
Chemical, physical and thermal properties of pentane, also called n-pentane. Phase diagram included.
Solubility of Ammonia, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Chlorine, Ethane, Ethylene, Helium, Hydrogen, Hydrogen Sulfide, Methane, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Sulfur Dioxide in water.
Stoichiometric combustion and excess air.
Thermal properties of water at different temperatures like density, freezing temperature, boiling temperature, latent heat of melting, latent heat of evaporation, critical temperature and more.
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