A hydrogen odorant in any form, is a minute amount of
odorant
An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently vol ...
such as
ethyl isobutyrate, with a rotting-cabbage-like smell, that is added to the otherwise
color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...
less and almost
odor
An odor (American English) or odour (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds ...
less hydrogen gas, so that
leak
A leak is a way (usually an opening) for fluid to escape a container or fluid-containing system, such as a tank or a ship's hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can enter the container. Leaks are usuall ...
s can be detected before a fire or
explosion
An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...
occurs. Odorants are considered non-toxic in the extremely low concentrations occurring in hydrogen gas delivered to the end user.
The approach is not new, for the same safety reasons the odorant
''tert''-butyl mercaptan is used in
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
.
See also
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Hydrogen safety
Hydrogen safety covers the safe production, handling and use of hydrogen, particularly hydrogen gas fuel and liquid hydrogen.
Hydrogen possesses the NFPA 704's highest rating of 4 on the flammability scale because it is flammable when mixed even i ...
*
Odor detection threshold
The odor detection threshold is the lowest concentration of a certain odor compound that is perceivable by the human sense of smell. The threshold of a chemical compound is determined in part by its shape, polarity, partial charges, and molecul ...
External links
Odorant for hydrogen based on acrylate and acetophenoneHydrogen Odorants and Odorant Selection Method
Hydrogen technologies