What Is the Difference Between Butane Vs. Propane Patio Gas?

Butane Chemical Composition

• Butane is a hydrocarbon gas or liquid that appears in varying amounts in natural gas and petroleum. The compound is inactive at room temperature but burns readily when ignited in the presence of oxygen. Fuel producers add butane to pressurized propane tanks used for home grilling equipment, though these companies may also sell the compound separately as a fuel source. Companies usually sell butane as a pressurized liquid when packaging the compound as fuel for grilling equipment or camp stoves.

Butane Fuel Advantages/Disadvantages

• Butane is less volatile than propane, burns more efficiently and produces a higher rate of energy. This allows for a longer lasting fuel source requiring fewer replacement canisters over time. The lower level of volatility from butane also allows for legal in-home as well as outside storage. Butane is heavier than propane, making traveling with multiple butane canisters difficult if camping on foot. The chemical compound is more susceptible to colder temperatures than propane, making it likely that canisters may experience inhibited combustion at temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

Propane as a Fuel

• Propane can exist as a gas or liquid and composes up to 20 percent of all natural gas found across the country, according to NaturalGas.org. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, propane has a high octane rating, making it an ideal fuel source for internal combustion engines and accounts for 2 percent of energy used in the United States. The majority of propane combustion occurs in the operation of gas grills, powering farm equipment and heating water.

Propane Advantages/Disadvantages

• Propane's main advantage over butane is the compound's range of operating temperatures. The chemical can boil into a gas at temperatures well below freezing, making propane a better fuel source for gas grills and stoves in colder climates. Every state across the country has laws for the legal storage of propane tanks, including what tanks an owner may refill and those that must remain empty. Violating laws relating to the safe storage of propane can result in fines. Improperly stored propane presents a serious risk for injury should the gas contact oxygen in the presence of a spark.