n-Butane

CAS 106-97-8

n-Butane connects physical-state control with selective chemical manufacturing. CAS 106-97-8 identifies the unbranched four-carbon alkane, distinct from isobutane. Pressure can maintain it as a liquid, and evaporation changes its state without changing its molecular identity. Oxidation is a different process: with suitable catalysts, the same carbon framework can become maleic anhydride rather than simply being burned for heat. Research on vanadium-phosphorus-oxygen catalysts examines how competing pathways are directed. Conversion measures how much feed reacted; selectivity follows where that reacted material went. The distinction shows why consuming a gas is not the same as making the desired product. Its story links a familiar fuel with the deeper challenge of controlling both the physical form and the chemical destination of a small molecule in an actual application.