What is Natural gas?
[[File:Darvasa gas crater panorama.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The Door to Hell, a natural gas field in [[Turkmenistan]]. It has been burning continuously since 1971, fed by the rich natural gas deposits in the area.]] '''Natural gas''' is a [[mixture]] of [[gas]]<nowiki/>es. It consists mainly of [[hydrocarbon]]s. The main component is [[methane]], which is a [[greenhouse gas]]. Natural gas is a natural resource, often found in the ground, either alone or together with [[petroleum]]. [[Landfill]]s and natural processes produce a little methane. Usually it is transported to users in a [[pipeline]]. Most natural gas is burnt as a [[fuel]] to produce [[energy]]. It burns with a blue flame. Like other flames, this can cause [[pollution]] with [[Nitrogen dioxide|nitrogen oxides]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Lebel|first1=Eric D.|last2=Finnegan|first2=Colin J.|last3=Ouyang|first3=Zutao|last4=Jackson|first4=Robert B.|date=2022-02-15|title=Methane and NO x Emissions from Natural Gas Stoves, Cooktops, and Ovens in Residential Homes|url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.1c04707|journal=Environmental Science & Technology|language=en|volume=56|issue=4|pages=2529–2539|doi=10.1021/acs.est.1c04707|pmid=35081712 |s2cid=246296077 |issn=0013-936X}}</ref> Natural gas is burned to produce [[electricity]], to cook and to heat buildings. It is also used as fuel for [[natural gas vehicle]]s for transport. When natural gas is burned in a [[power station]] it boils water into steam that spins a steam [[turbine]] that turns a [[generator]] to make [[electricity]]. Some power stations use natural gas in a gas turbine. Natural gas is also converted into many different industrial chemicals. It is the most common feedstock for making pure [[hydrogen]]. Hydrogen is used as fuel in [[fuel cell]]s, and to make [[ammonia]]. Ammonia is used as a fuel, as a [[fertilizer]] for crops, and for making many other things. Natural gas is also converted into [[monomer]]s to make many plastic products. ==Related pages== {{commons category|Natural gas