Methane (C1)

Methane (C1)

Methane is the main component of natural gas. It is the simplest alkane and contains one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Natural gas is used to produce electricity and also for industrial and home heating applications. Methane is also used to produce hydrogen via steam reforming, with the hydrogen in turn used in refinery and other applications including ammonia production. Methane is also used to produce syngas which in turn can be used to produce methanol. Large quantities of methane are naturally occurring and produced via oil and gas drilling. Methane is also produced as a byproduct of many refinery and chemical processes.