Natural gas
Natural gas, which is commonly
known as "gas", is a gaseous
fossil fuel consisting
primarily of methane. It is most
commonly found in three types of places: coal
beds, natural gas fields, and oil fields.
Cases in which methane saturated gases are produced
by the anaerobic digestion or fermentation organic
materials are known as biogas. Biogas is
commonly found in swamps, marshes and landfills.
Biogas can also be known as (depending on where it
was obtained) swamp gas, march gas, landfill gas,
and digester gas.
Composition of Natural Gas
The primary constituent of natural gas is
methane. Methane is the lightest and shortest of all
hydrocarbon molecules. Additional constituents
include heavier hydrocarbons such as as propane,
ethane, butane, and helium.
Natural gas can also contain contaminants which
must be removed during the industrial production
of most gases. They include hydrogen sulfide
and organosulfur compounds.
Uses
Natural gas is commonly used as an energy source
in the production of electric power through
the use of gas or steam turbines.
It is also commonly used in the industrial
production of hydrogen.
It is also used in the manufactures of many
consumer products and industrial materials such as
glass, fabrics, plastics, paint, and other products.
