How to Compress Methane Gas to Liquid

••• Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images

Methane is a hydrocarbon chemical that can be found in both liquid and gaseous states. Methane is represented by the chemical formula CH4, which means that every molecule of methane contains one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Methane is highly combustible and is often used as fuel in industrial applications. Methane is usually found in its gaseous state due to temperatures and pressures found naturally on earth. You must exert a large amount of pressure on methane, in addition to cooling it greatly, to convert methane into a liquid.

    Connect your canister filled with methane gas to the liquid nitrogen cryogenic tank with the plastic gas transfer tube. Turn the release on the methane canister to allow flow of the methane to the cryogenic tank. Close the shunt on the cryogenic tank after all of the methane has flowed into the tank. Remove the gas transfer tube.

    Leave the methane gas to cool in the liquid nitrogen tank for at least 48 hours. Check the temperature on the cryogenic tank to verify that the contents are at least negative 150 degrees Celsius.

    Transfer the cooled methane gas from the cryogenic tank to the pressure vacuum with a gas transfer tube. Open the shunt on the cryogenic tank and on the pressure vacuum. Close the shunts when all of the gas has moved to the vacuum.

    Set your pressure vacuum to exert 46 bars of pressure on the methane gas. The methane gas will slowly condense and form a liquid at the bottom of the vacuum.

    Things You'll Need

    • Liquid nitrogen cryogenic tank
    • Plastic gas transfer tube
    • Pressure vacuum

    Tips

    • If you release the liquid methane from the pressure vacuum, it will turn back into a gas very quickly. Transport of the gas requires transfer to a container that can maintain the 46 bars of pressure.

Related Articles

How to Convert mm Hg to in Hg
How to Make Your Own Solar Absorption Chiller
How to Find Partial Pressures
Test Your Knowledge on Middle School Science
How to Convert Moles to Pressure
How to Convert Gas Pressure to BTU
How to Make Electricity With Biogas
How to Pressurize Natural Gas Pipelines for Leak Detection
How to Convert ATM to Moles of Gas
How to Spin Weld on a Water Tank
How to Convert ATM Pressure to Celsius
How to Calculate the CFM of a Blower
How to Compress Hydrogen to Power an Engine
How to Create Methane Gas
How to Separate Oxygen From Liquid Air
How to Convert SLPM to SCFM
What Is Butane Fuel?
How to Make Acetate From Vinegar
How to Calculate Evaporator Sizing
How to Calculate CFM to MPH

Dont Go!

We Have More Great Sciencing Articles!