Butane 101

What is Butane?

Most butane for lighters is actually a combination of normal butane, isobutene and propane with some amount of air.  The can of butane is pressurized (28lbs/sq. inch at 70°F) and is propelled into the lighter when filling.  The cans of butane are draw vacuumed to eliminate approx. 85% of the air and allow the can to be filled under pressure.  The can of butane is filled to approx. 85% as it is a requirement that the can withstand a liquid bath of 130°F and not expand.

Lighter Bleeding

There is also air in the "empty" fuel tank of all lighters.  Even when you empty or "bleed" the lighter fuel tank, there will be some air left in the tank unless you were to use a machine to evacuate all the air out and this isn't realistic or recommended.  There are DOT HAZMAT and ISO rules requiring lighters to be filled to only 85%.   It is important to "bleed" the lighter before each filling to eliminate as much air as possible.

Highest Quality Butane

XIKAR butane is the highest quality fuel we have found.  High quality clean butane will not clog lighters with impurities.  Low quality butane is full of impurities which will ruin lighters.  XIKAR butane has only 15 parts per million of impurities while other brands have 100-400ppm of impurities.  Each production run of our butane is analyzed and is accompanied with a certificate of analysis. All of our butane is A28 aerosol grade butane triple refined to eliminate water and contaminants.   Some talk about 3x refined or 4x refined or even 5x refined.  These marketing slogans don't indicate the actual quality of the butane.  If the refinement process isn't high quality you could refine it 100x and it may not be "clean" butane.

Some talk about 3x refined or 4x refined or even 5x refined.  These marketing slogans don't indicate the actual quality of the butane.  If the refinement process isn't high quality you could refine it 100x and it may not be "clean" butane.

The Importance of a Good Butane Can

The other issue we see with some butane is the type of can and the fill valve seal.  Cans with a seam or vertical joint are usually produced in Asia.  The seam is joined by an automated welding process and the inside of the can will introduce impurities that mix with the butane.  Low quality fill valve seals may have lubricants that can contaminate the butane.  Our cans utilize quality construction and valves that do not introduce impurities.

Superior Lighters Require Superior Fuel

Xikar lighters incorporate multiple fuel filters and air filters to reduce any impurities that may be introduced into the lighter.  The fuel tanks deliver fuel to the burner through small fuel delivery hoses and the burner has a pre-mixing component below the diffuser.  Therefore air is mixed with the fuel from the tank and then ignited above the burner diffuser.  If the air has a large amount of particulate matter most is filtered out by the pre-mixing filter.  Some contaminants can be introduced from above the burner such as ash from a cigar.  Some users will put the lighter very close to a cigar if the cigar has gone out and ash can be introduced into the top of the burner.  I encourage people to light the cigar slowly keeping the cigar at least one inch above the visible end of the flame.  Excessive direct contact with the flame produces a bad taste as the excessive heat changes the flavor of the cigar.  The www.xikar.com site has information and videos on how to properly light a cigar.

In conclusion, we believe our lighters and butane are the best available and with proper use will perform exceptionally well.  Xikar offers a lifetime unconditional guarantee if you feel our products don’t live up to your expectations.  Just send it back and we will repair or replace it, no questions asked.