answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Mercaptan is the substance that causes natural gas to smell bad. It is typically added to gas before the gas is shipped or piped, so that any leaks can be instantly detected.

User Avatar

Wiki User

9y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: When is mercaptan added to natural gas?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

When was mercaptan first added to gas in the U.S.?

When was mercaptan first added to gas in the U.S.?


What chemicals are in gas?

Natural gas is mainly methane with traces of mercaptan odorants deliberately added.


What is added to natural gas to give it an odor?

Pure natural gas is colourless and odourless. This means if there is a leak people will not be able to detect it until it builds up enough to become explosive. For this reason a chemical called Mercaptan is added to the gas to make is smell. Mercaptan is harmless, non-toxic and has a strong "rotten egg" smell.


Ethyl mercaptan percent concentration with natural GAS?

None. Ethyl mercaptan is not used to odorize natural gas. The normal odorant used for natural gas is tertiary butyl mercaptan, which is present at a concentration of approximately 0.5 pound/million standard cubic feet of gas.


Is methyl mercaptan flammable gas?

Yes it is. Natural gas has no smell of its own. Methyl mercaptan is used to add a bad smell to natural gas to warn you if a gas leak should occur.


What causes the distinct smell of natural gas?

The smell in gas is man-made, natural gas is odourless. It is added during the gas manufacturing/refining process so as to be able to detect it (i.e. smell). The chemical is Mercaptan


How do you pronounce mercaptan?

"MURR-captain". Methyl mercaptan, CH3SH, aka methanethiol, is added to natural gas to let us smell it. It is one of the chemicals responsible for the smell of bad breath and flatulence (farts).


What do they put in natural gas to make it smell like eggs?

Mercaptan. Methane, which is the primary ingredient of natural gas, is odorless and colorless. The gas company adds a chemical called mercaptan, which gives natural gas a recognizable sulfur or rotten egg odor.


How much mercaptan is in natural gas?

1-3 ppm by volume


What does a natural gas leak smell like?

Natural Gas itself is colorless and almost odorless - A chemical odorant (t-butyl mercaptan) is added to the Natural Gas so the leak can be detected quickly. The smell of t-Butyl Mercaptan is distinct, once you smell it you will always know it...sort of a rotten cabbage smell. Sometimes a related Chemical, Thiophane, is used...with a rotten egg smell.


When was mercaptan first used in natural gas?

"Historically, first gas odorization was carried out in Germany in 1880's by Von Quaglio who used ethyl mercaptan for detecting gas leakages of blue water gas."


Can you have a gas leak and not smell anything at all?

If you are talking about "natural gas" (home heating and cooling) it is unlikely , as natural gas has a smell added to it by the gas company. The smell, a chemical called "ethyl mercaptan" is detectable in a few parts per million - exactly the reason they use it,.