Butane Source Blog
Informative butane articles and related industry information.

Most homeowners rarely think long and hard about where their power comes from. We use electricity, natural gas, or oil to heat our homes, food, and water, and don’t pay much attention to other ways to obtain fuel until we are left without it. If you’re forced to get those basic human necessities outside of your home, however, you start to encounter a lot more choices about how to cook your food or heat yourself, especially if you’re an outdoor enthusiast. When you need a portable fuel source for heat and fire, nine times out of ten, refined butane is the best way to go. But don’t just take our word for it; read on to discover why you should be using butane.

What are the Uses of Bottled Butane?

While people are most familiar with butane through the use of disposable or refillable pocket cigarette lighters, there are many other uses of both pure butane and butane-propane blends for consumers. Butane bottles are used for a wide range of devices and purposes, including:

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When buying bottled fuel for outdoor stoves and mobile heating, it can be difficult to choose between the many types and brands on the market today. As with any consumer decision, people’s strategies differ widely when faced with the overwhelming number of purchasing options that are available at both physical and online stores. Some customers go for the cheapest option while others buy whatever their friends recommend. Although it’s important to be able to trust your friend’s opinion, why not turn to the fuel experts so that you can make the most informed consumer decision possible? Here are the differences between butane and propane, and a few tips on whether one or the other is best for you.

What is Butane?

Butane, or C4H10, is an alkane natural gas derivative which can be found as two different structural isomers, n-butane or isobutane, or a blend of the two. N-butane, such as Puretane butane, is highly refined and is the type of butane that we normally think about when we hear the term. A natural gas liquid, n-butane is a highly flammable hydrocarbon that is used in such diverse products as torches, cigarette lighters, Tiki torches, and portable camping stoves. Isobutane is a methylpropane that is less refined than n-butane. It is used as a refrigerant in domestic refrigerators and freezers and as a propellant in aerosol sprays such as cooking sprays and hairspray.

Like all natural gas, butane is a colorless and odorless hydrocarbon in its natural form. It burns when exposed to oxygen and releases carbon dioxide (chemical formula CO2) and water vapor (chemical formula H2O). N-butane boils at 31 degrees Fahrenheit, though the flames of butane torches can reach up to 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit.

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A powerful alkane, butane is a highly flammable natural gas derivative that is an essential energy source for many devices and activities. Butane, or C4H10, has two structural isomers, which are used for different purposes. Although most people’s use of butane is limited to disposable lighters to spark up their cigarettes or candles, butane has many far-reaching uses of which you may be unaware. Consider using this inexpensive and widely available natural gas derivative for any one of its many applications.

The Best Uses for Butane

Pure and refined butane are used for both individual and industrial purposes, as well as in many of the commercial products that we regularly use. Here are just a few of the many ways that butane can be used.

  • Cigarette LightersCigarette Lighters – Perhaps the most widely known use for butane is in disposable and refillable cigarette lighters. But these pocket-sized lighters are not just for cigarettes. They are easier to use than matches and are ideal for products that do not require a large or extremely hot flame such as lighting decorative and atmospheric candles, burning incense, and smoking tobacco from pipes.
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As a natural gas derivative, butane is one of the most plentiful power sources known to man. Thanks to advances in drilling technology, particularly hydraulic fracturing in shale deposits, natural gas is being extracted in greater quantities than ever before. This has led to an energy boom in North America and, as a result, increased production of refined butane. If you are like the average consumer, your experience with butane is limited to disposable cigarette lighters and portable camping stoves, but the gas also is used as a torch lighter power source, which is a vital tool for plumbers, builders, and jewelry makers.

One of the most highly sought after butanes on the market is Power butane, particularly in the 5x, 7x, and 9x butane refill canisters. Power 5x butane, for instance, refers to the refinement process and is indicative of the high purity level of the gas. Thanks to its quality, Power brand butane is often used as a replacement for other inferior quality gas, many brands of which have been known to clog lighters and torches.

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Sourced from different parts of the world — anywhere natural gas is plentiful, actually — butane is a natural gas derivative. That means it is extracted from natural gas, but does not exist in and of itself in large enough quantities to be useful. Butane is created when natural gas is refined, and also results from the processing of petroleum. It is highly flammable and known for its ability to create a stable flame that can attain temperatures as high as 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit.

Made in the UK, Available Worldwide

Made by Keen-Newport in the United Kingdom, the STok butane brand is associated with a history of quality and purity that few competitors can match. In fact, Keen-Newport started making butane 50 years ago, and its products became a fixture in the market for disposable or refillable lighters soon afterward. When the company expanded and began looking for new markets, the idea for Stok butane was born.

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If you are looking for Material Safety Data Sheet information on Whip-It! butane or some other refined butane, the first place to start is either with the distributor or manufacturer. All reputable businesses that manufacture or distribute the gas, whether as a butane refill or in a lighter or torch, should be able to provide chemical and safety data on the product.

There are dozens of companies that manufacture and distribute refined butane, but the top ranked brands — both in terms of reliability of the product and availability of safety data, are as follows (but in no particular order):


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