Butane
C4H1058.12 g/mol Calculated
Also called butyl hydride, diethyl and methylethylmethane.
Lighter fuel, and the gas in a camping stove cartridge. It liquefies under gentle pressure, which is why you can see it sloshing in a clear lighter.
Sources and notes
- The introductionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
- Other namesfrom sourceWikidataIts English label and aliases on Wikidata.
- Formula and weightcomputedPubChem
- 2D drawingcomputedPubChem structure, drawn by RDKit
- 3D modelfrom sourcePubChem 3D conformerLoaded after the page has painted, and on a phone only when you ask for it; the 2D drawing shows until it arrives.
Where you encounter it
Butane on our curated lists, and on the product labels we hold.
Every product and list we hold
Sources and notes
- Our curated lists and their amountsfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach amount is an editorial figure from our food and drink lists, not a measurement of any one product.
- The product labels and their strengthsfrom sourceDailyMed (FDA label)Each label lists the molecule as an ingredient, and an active ingredient at the strength shown.
- How it gets therefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curatedEach mark is set by hand on our lists, never inferred; a label's ingredient is added by the maker. A row with no mark data says Not marked.
Compare a related molecule
Butane
Propane
One carbon longer.
Butane, C4H10, has one more carbon than propane, C3H8, and boils near freezing, so propane stays a usable gas in cold weather and butane does not.
Butane vs Propane, side by sideSources and notes
- The sentencefrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison notesThe pair's answer line.
- The two drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKitDrawn the same way round; the amber marks where the two differ.
- The captionfrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated
Properties and sources
Calculated by PubChem
- Molecular formula
- C4H10
- Molecular weight
- 58.12 g/mol
- XLogP3octanol/water, log units
- 2.9
- Polar surface areatopological
- 0 Ų
- H-bond donors
- 0
- H-bond acceptors
- 0
- Rotatable bonds
- 1
- Complexity
- 2
Reported Hazard label (GHS), ECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChem
Danger Flammable pictogram (GHS02), Compressed gas pictogram (GHS04) and Health hazard pictogram (GHS08); hazard statements H220, H280, H340, H350
Groups it belongs to
- Category
- Everyday chemistry
- Family
- Alkanes
- Product lists
- Fuel and flame, Aerosol cans
- Hazard classes
- Flammable, Compressed gas, Health hazard, GHS Danger
- Size
- Under 100 g/mol
SMILES
CCCCPubChem CID 7843 · Wikidata Q134192 · InChIKey IJDNQMDRQITEOD-UHFFFAOYSA-N · Data refreshed
Questions
- What is Butane?
- Lighter fuel, and the gas in a camping stove cartridge. It liquefies under gentle pressure, which is why you can see it sloshing in a clear lighter.
- Where is Butane found?
- Butane is in these product groups: fuel and flame and aerosol cans. from source
- How toxic is Butane?
- Its GHS hazard label carries the signal word Danger and the hazard pictograms Flammable, Compressed gas and Health hazard. from source
- What kind of molecule is Butane?
- Butane has the formula C4H10 and a molecular weight of 58.12 g/mol. MoleculeFinder files it under alkanes, in the everyday chemistry group. from sourcefrom sourcefrom sourcefrom source
- What else is Butane called?
- Butane is also called butyl hydride, diethyl and methylethylmethane. from source
Sources and notes
- Calculated valuescomputedPubChemComputed from the structure, so no laboratory conditions apply; complexity is PubChem's own structural score.
- Hazard labelfrom sourceECHA, EU CLP Regulation, Safe Work Australia via PubChemThe label combines these classifications.
- ECHAfrom sourceAttributionSource: European Chemicals Agency, echa.europa.eu.
- EU CLP Regulationfrom sourceAttributionSource: EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008, © European Union.
- Safe Work Australiafrom sourceAttributionSource: Safe Work Australia, Hazardous Chemical Information System, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0.
- Data refreshedfrom sourceMoleculeFinder2026-11-09
Keep exploring
One carbon longer.PropaneC3H8Also an alkaneHexaneC6H14A close match in shapeEthanolC2H6OA close match in shapeEthanethiolC2H6S
Sources and notes
- A group apartfrom sourceMoleculeFinder comparison captions
- The same kind of moleculefrom sourceMoleculeFinder curated groupsA structural neighbour in the same family or type group; the line names the group in its own words.
- Similar in shapecomputedRDKit Morgan/TanimotoNeighbours by structural fingerprint; the sentence names the chemical groups the two share.
- The drawingscomputedPubChem structures, drawn by RDKit