Propane Gas: 10 Things You Might Not Know

Learn even more about this amazing fuel!

If you use propane in your northern Arizona home, you know it’s a great fuel for keeping your home warm, safe, and comfortable. You also know it’s great for grilling, too!

Ten Propane Facts

But there’s a lot you probably don’t know about propane, so we’ve put together a list of fun and interesting facts about this clean, green, and versatile energy source.

1. The chemical formula for propane is C3H8.
2. Propane was first identified as a volatile component in gasoline by Walter O. Snelling. He later patented propane, then sold that patent in 1913 to Frank Phillips, the founder of Phillips Petroleum, for $50,000. That’s $1.3 million in today’s dollars.
3. In its natural state, propane has no odor. The rotten-egg smell of propane comes from an odorant, most commonly ethyl mercaptan, added during processing for safety reasons.
4. About 90% of the propane supply in the United States is domestically produced.
5. Most of our domestically produced propane is a result of natural gas processing. In fact, our propane supply has become so abundant that the U.S. is now a net exporter of propane!
6. The propane industry employs more than 75,000 people in the U.S. and contributes close to $40 billion to the U.S. gross domestic product.
7. Propane is one of the safest fuels you can find. Propane will not ignite unless the air around it reaches 940˚ Fahrenheit. Also, propane tanks are made of carbon steel. They’re 20 times more puncture resistant than tanks used for ethanol, methanol, or gasoline.
8. Propane is a fiscally smart choice for your home. Today’s high-efficiency propane heating systems and other propane appliances feature efficiency ratings of 95 percent, or even higher.
9. Propane is one of the cleanest-burning fossil fuels. In fact, propane was named as an alternative fuel in both the 1990 Clean Air Act and the National Energy Policy of 1992. But you know what propane isn’t designated as? A greenhouse gas.
10. Propane is used in more than 50 million homes in the U.S.

Interested in how propane gas could help your home or business? Become a Superior Propane Inc. customer and enjoy the vast array of benefits this fuel has to offer year-round!