| What
is mercaptan?
Natural
gas in its native state is colorless and odorless. Mercaptan
is the harmless, non-toxic chemical that is added to natural
gas to make it easier to detect in case of a leak. The most
important thing to know about mercaptan is that it stinks.
Some people compare it to the smell of rotten eggs.
In a concentrated
form, the smell is almost unbearable. And it takes only a
few parts per million of mercaptan to give natural gas a smell.
That is precisely why we add it to natural gas. If we did
not add mercaptan, it would be hard for you to know that unlit
natural gas was coming from your stove after you left the
valve turned on. And leaks from furnaces and hot water heaters
would be nearly impossible to detect without expensive equipment.
So mercaptan's smell is a very valuable safety feature.
Mercaptans
contain sulfur. That's what makes them smell. The kind we
use blends well with natural gas and, in a gaseous state,
has much the same properties as natural gas, so it will also
rise and dissipate with natural gas.
There
are other uses for mercaptans in industry, including jet fuel,
pharmaceuticals and livestock feed additives. They are used
in many chemical plants. Mercaptans are less corrosive and
less toxic than similar sulfur compounds found naturally in
rotten eggs, onions, garlic, skunks, and, of course, bad breath.
In other words, forms of mercaptan can be found in things
that smell.
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