/sci/ - Science & Math

What would happen if the US government cut military funding in half and split it between all major science foundations here with NASA getting 50%? What would we expect to see with 20 years of this budget plan ?

hello, I don't normally frequent this board but I want to ask a question that I'm having trouble googling.

I work in a factory. I operate a few extruders making styrofoam sheet. The sheet is used to make food plates and to-go box containers. The styrofoam is made by mixing polystyrene with a gas called pentane under heat and pressure.

Long story short - sometimes this stuff catches on fire. A couple of times its even gotten kinda hairy. We are going to stop using pentane soon, and start using butane because it is cheaper.

I found the lower explosive limit/lower flammable limit in a chart here
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/explosive-concentration-limits-d_423.html

of the two gases with pentane around 1.4 and butane at 1.8 - so about the same with the pentate igniting slightly more easily.

is the butane going to "poof" harder? is it going to burn hotter once it does? Is it going to be more dangerous?