Chapter 10, Problem 126IE

Natural gas is very abundant us many Middle Eastern oil fields. However, the costs of shipping the gas to markets in other parts of the world are high because it is necessary to liquefy the gas% which is mainly methane and has a boding point at atmospheric pressure of —164 °C. One possible strategy is to oxidize the methane to methanol. CH₃OH. which has a boiling point of 63°C and can therefore be shipped more readily. Suppose that 10.7 $\times$ 10⁹ft³of methane at atmospheric pressure and 23 °C is oxidized to methanol. (a) What volume of methanol is formed If the density of CH3OH is 0.791 g/mL? (b) Write balanced chemical equations for the oxidations of methane and methanol to CO₂(g) and H₂O( l ). Calculate the total enthalpy change for complete combuslion of the 10.7 $\times$ 10⁹ft³of methane just described and for complete combustion of the equivalent amount of methanol. as calculated in part (a). (c) Methane, when liquefied, has a density of 0.466g/mL the density of methanol at 25°C is 0.791 g/mL Compare the enthalpy change upon combust ion of a unit volume of liquid methane and liquid methanol. From the standpoint of energy production. which substance has the higher enthalpy of combusstion per unit volume?