Methane (CH4) Bubbles

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Required Training	Required PPE
UC Lab Safety Fundamentals	Flame-resistant lab coat, safety glasses/goggles, nitrile gloves, flame resistant gloves
Performers Required: 2
Equipment	Chemicals
2 500 mL plastic bottles.	Methane (CH₄), with regulator and tubing installed (tubing should be >3 feet)
1 L Petri Style Pyrex Glass Dish	Gas cylinder cart
Tongs	Glycine
BBQ-style butane lighter (≥ 6” long)	Dawn Dish Soap

Procedure:

Prepare the Bubble Solution: 70 mL glycine, 150 mL Dawn Dish Soap, 780 mL DI Water (1 L total). Dispense into 500 mL plastic bottles.
Fill the glass dish with 500 mL bubble solution (one alloquated bottle). Submerge the FR tubing from the methane tank into the bubble solution. Bubble until a 2-3” column of bubbles has grown.
Move the methane cylinder approximately 15-20 feet away. When possible, move into a separate room.
If inside, turn of the lights and with the butane light ignite the bubbles. This should be done by hovering the lighter near the bubbles, but not touching the bubbles with the lighter itself. Similar principle to the Exploding balloons SOP. The flame produce will be approximately 2 fold greater than the height of the column of bubbles.
When using flammable material, like money, first submerge it in water. This can be done discreetly. After repeating step 2 the performer should use the tongs to hold the material then pass it through the bubble column in a scoping fashion, accumulating bubbles. The bubbles should then be ignited in a similar fashion as stated above. The performer must be wearing flame resistant gloves in addition to nitrile gloves.

Clean-up: Pour the remaining bubble solution back into the 500 mL plastic bottle. The glassware should be cleaned and the flammable material used set out to dry. Ensure the methane tank is tightly closed.

Hazards: CH₄ bubbles produce heat and fire when ignited. Hazards include thermal burns from the fire, although the glass material itself should only be lukewarm if warm at all. The methane bubbles should be produced in an area free of flammable or combustible materials and should not be transported. When transporting the CH₄ thank, remove the regulator and take care to keep it away from ignition sources. Glycine may cause skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation if it comes into contact with skin.

Principle: CH₄is a flammable gas that combusts into water vapor and CO when ignited. By bubbling in CH₄, the bubbles contain flammable gas inplace of air. Glycine is used to increase the surface tension allows for bubbles, allowing them to be more firm and flexible so more CH₄can be tolerated without popping.

Notes: Dawn dish soap is the best soap to use, 3 other brands were compared and produced brittle bubbles.