Used for heating, fueling, cooking, lighting, and lifting, butane is a natural gas produced through oil refining and natural gas processing. Butane is preferable for use in warm climates and indoor use, burning at 1970 degrees Celsius. As a highly flammable liquid gas, butane is also known as lighter fluid. When you need a light quickly, whether it be for a candle or a campfire, butane lighters offer stable flames and portability. Off-site catering for conferences, weddings, corporate events, and celebrations also relies on butane gas burners. Since the liquid gas heats so quickly, caterers can heat up food to the desired temperature in half the time of other methods. Serious bakers and chefs may have butane in one of their essential small appliances. Refillable butane kitchen torches can caramelize crème brulee, roast bell peppers, melt cheese, and toast meringue. Torches rise to 3000 degrees Fahrenheit for a quick broil that adds a professional culinary touch.
Chlorine kills pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, by breaking the chemical bonds in their molecules. Chlorine gas has a variety of uses. It’s used in water treatment to disinfect drinking water, swimming pools, private ponds, sewage and wastewater, and other types of water reservoirs. Chlorine gas is also used as a disinfectant, microbicide and algicide in food processing systems. During the production of paper and cloth, chlorine is used as a bleaching agent. It is used in washing meat, fresh produce, and seeds. Chlorine is formulated as a pressurized gas and distributed in tanks or cylinders.
While it is mostly produced in ripening fruit, ethylene is also a byproduct of exhaust from engines, smoke, rotting vegetation and natural gas leaks; all of which can be harnessed and used for agricultural purposes. The agriculture industry has found a way to use this gas in high concentrations to quicken the natural ripening process of produce. By hastening the process in controlled ripening rooms, producers can get their products in the hands of consumers in a timely and economical way. Common produce that relies on hastened ripening before wholesale includes:
- - Bananas
- - Avocados
- - Tomatoes
- - Pears
- - Mangoes
- - Citrus fruits (de-greening)
Most of the ammonia produced (80%) is used in agriculture as fertilizer. It can also be applied directly to soil as a plant nutrient. Ammonia binds airborne nitrogen and helps make it available in the soil. Ammonia is also used as a refrigerant gas, for purification of water supplies, and in the manufacturing of plastics, explosives, pesticides, dyes, and other chemicals. It’s found in many household and industrial-strength cleaning solutions, which are manufactured by adding ammonia gas to water. Concentrations are between 5-10% for household products and may be 25% or higher for industrial use.
