Question

Natural gas is a fossil fuel that is colourless, odourless and tasteless. If this is true then why does it smell when there is a leakage from a gas cylinder used for cooking at home

Answer 1

It is not easy to detect an LPG leak, especially when the leak is in small quantities, if LPG is kept odourless. Hence a chemical called Ethyl Mercapton is added (usually about 20 ppm) to give it a pungent and characteristic odour. You can’t miss out noticing that foul smell, if LPG leaks even in minute quantity.

LPG produced in refinery is odorless and leakage cannot be identified. A chemical ethyl mercaptan is added in small quantity with LPG. In case of leak from cylinder or tube a garlic odor is released by mercaptan which can be identified by the nose..