About Butane Lighter Fluid

Butane is a naturally occurring component of natural gas that can be extracted and used for a number of household and industrial purposes. Handymen use butane torches for light soldering and plumbing tasks. Gourmet chefs may use a butane torch to melt the sugar topping on a fancy dessert. Campers often rely on butane to power their camp stoves. But for the nation's 45 million adult smokers, butane is one of the primary fluids they use to light up.

Identification

Butane lighter fluid is a chemical compound that is made up of four carbon atoms bound together with 10 hydrogen atoms. Its chemical formula is C4H10, and it refers to n-butane, or natural butane, as opposed to isobutane, a slightly different form of the gas that is used primarily as a refrigerant.

Function

In its natural state, butane is a highly flammable gas. In order to make it suitable for use in a lighter, butane gas is put under pressure where it converts to a liquid state. The butane lighter works by releasing the pressure on the containment compartment, allowing the liquid butane to revert back to its gaseous state. A spark from a lighter ignites the flammable gas, and a control valve provides a continuous flow of butane gas to fuel a flame.

Benefits

Unlike many other flammable gases that produce carbon monoxide when burned, the byproducts of burned butane are water vapor and carbon dioxide. Butane lighter fluid also does not give off the unpleasant odor commonly associated with lighters that use traditional lighter fluid. Many cigar and pipe smokers prefer butane because of the perception that lighting up with a butane lighter does not flavor the tobacco.

History

Although the cigar lighter dates back to the early 1800s when Johann Wolfgang Dobereiner introduced his hydrogen-powered version to the world, it was another century before the classic pocket lighter became a ubiquitous part of the consumer landscape. The windproof Zippo lighter, which used Naptha for fuel, became world-famous during World War II as GIs carried the handy device all over the world. Butane lighters, introduced in the 1930s, began to compete with Naptha-based lighters because they didn't require a wick, and they didn't give off the unpleasant odor that Naptha was known for.

Features

High-end butane lighters can cost several hundred dollars, while the ubiquitous BIC lighter can be bought at the corner convenience store for less than a dollar. Colibri, ST Dupont, Zippo, Lotus, Tonino, Corona and Dunhill are only a few of the major manufacturers that use butane lighter fluid to power their lighters.

Resources

• Refilling a Butane Lighter