Green Gas is Propane FAQ
1. Is green gas propane or is it like propane?
Green gas is not like propane. It is propane.
Green gas is not R22, or Co2, or "CH2FCF3CH3" (as seen on some bottles). It is merely run-of-the-mill propane, with a different scent added
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2. So it's really propane? How can you be sure?
Samples were sent to the Analest Laboratory at the University of Toronto where 3 brands of green gas (Jet, Green Power, Shooting Air) were analyzed with a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer, an industry standard for organic gas assaying. All 3 gases were shown to be propane. Additionally 3 more brands have shown to be similarly flammable and exert the same pressure.
Test results, discussion and conclusions can be found in the Lab Data section, please read the Laboratory Analysis of Green Gas for more in-depth information.
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3. So, why should I fill my gun with propane instead of green gas?
If you use green gas, you're already using propane. Domestic propane is cheaper, comes in a safe container, and is available at any local hardware store. Airsoft bottled propane (green gas) has to be imported (which can take a long time).
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4. Isn't it flammable?
Green gas has always been flammable. Now that we know it's propane, nothing has changed. You should never ignite propane/green gas, or release it near an open flame. However, propane is fairly safe for normal use - we already use butane (another flammable gas) in many consumer products, such as shaving cream and hairspray, and propane is used as an industrial refridgerant (it's also known as HC290).
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5. How come green gas smells different than fuel propane?
Fuel propane is scented with mercaptan odourants for leak detection. By itself, propane has very little smell. Different bottlers of fuel propane use different odourants and so do green gas bottlers hence the different smells. Green gas and fuel propane are primarily propane so they all perform similarly in the end.
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