Carbon Monoxide - An Introduction:

Physical Properties of Carbon Monoxide:

• Names: coal gas, coal fumes, wood gas, mine damp, white damp, carbon oxide, carbon monoxide

• Colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-corrosive, highly poisonous gas of about the same density as that of air.

• Very flammable, burning in air with bright blue flame.

• M.W. = 28.01; 42.88% C, 57.12% O

• Formula = CO. Although each molecule of CO has one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, it has a shape similar to that of an oxygen molecule (two atoms of oxygen), which is important with regard to it's lethality. Indeed, it is similar to two other gases necessary for life as we know it.

  

• Melting point = -205.0° C; Boiling point = -191.5° C

• Density = 1.250 g/liter at 0° C, 1 atm; 1.145 g/liter at 25° C, 1 atm

• Density (gas) = 0.968

• Solubility in water at:
  
  • 0° C, 1 atm .............................. 3.54 ml/100 ml
    
  • 25° C, 1 atm ............................ 2.14 ml/100 ml
    
  • 37° C, 1 atm ............................ 1.83 ml/100 ml

• Soluble in some organic solvents such as ethyl acetate, methyl chloride, acetic acid; about 7 times more soluble in methanol and ethanol than in water.

  

• Flammable limits in air - 12-75 vol. %