Butane (/ˈbjuːteɪn/) or n-butane is an alkane with the formula C₄H₁₀. Butane is a gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Butane is a highly flammable, colorless, easily liquefied gas that quickly vaporizes at room temperature. The name butane comes from the roots but- (from butyric acid, named after the Greek word for butter) and -ane. It was discovered by the chemist Edward Frankland in 1849.^[6] It was found dissolved in crude petroleum in 1864 by Edmund Ronalds, who was the first to describe its properties.^[7][8]

In the 1950s, there was a switch in the fuel of choice from naphtha to butane,^{[citation needed]} as butane allows for a controllable flame and has less odour.^[5] This also led to the use of piezoelectric spark, which replaced the need for a flint wheel in some lighters and was used in many Ronson lighters.