PROPERTIES OF LPG

RAKESH KUMAR SAROJ

SENIOR AREA MANAGER
RANCHI AREA OFFICE
 LPG
Stands for “Liquefied Petroleum Gas”
 a term loosely applied in petroleum refineries to a number of light end
hydrocarbon streams derived from crude oil distillation or other petroleum
refining processes which all have RVP (Reid Vapour Pressure) of 18 PSI or more

Commercial LPG should conform to

LPG Standard IS 4576 - 1999

Derived from :

Crude-Oil Distillation

Natural Gas Resources

Other petroleum reforming process
What is LPG?

Hydrocarbons which are gaseous at Normal
Atmospheric Pressure, but may be condensed
to liquid state at normal temperatures by the
applications of moderate pressures.


Mixture of Propane, Propylene, Normal

Butane, Iso-butane and Butylenes,

Butadiene, Butene and Pentane.
Components, nature & behavioral
characteristics

Exists as LPG vapor under normal atmospheric conditions, but evaporates
rapidly under atmospheric conditions,

Can be liquefied by compressing to a moderate pressure or by cooling to
temperatures below their boiling point.

The evaporating product; especially in liquid form; can become cold enough to
cause frost burns on bare flesh

LPG is stored and transported as liquid, either under pressure at the ambient
temperature or at low temperature (refrigerated condition ).

Liquid LPG, if leaks, it can create more hazards compared to vapor leaks

Is a poor lubricant, therefore leaks are likely to occur through seals (of
pumps, compressors etc.), glands etc.

AUTO REFRIGERATION OF LPG

Phenomenon, which occurs when the pressure is rapidly released from a
vessel containing liquid LPG.
The advantages of LPG

LPG with its high energy output, instantly available heat, flexibility in use and
environment friendliness has become an important alternative energy source.
It offers the following advantages:


Lower fuel consumption


Cleaner fuel leading to lower maintenance cost and clean environment


Flexibility of control and regulation


Combustion with no carbon deposits as the air/gas ratio is the lowest


Increased productivity on account of higher throughput and reduced rate of
rejections


Low running cost due to reduced manpower requirement


Safe fuel with narrow flammability range


Gas is the fuel of future
The advantages of LPG

Low maintenance of equipments


Higher equipment life


Enhanced end product quality


Direct heating is possible


Environmentally very friendly


No spillage


No theft losses


No adulteration possible


No vaporization losses from the storage tank as in case of liquid fuels
Comparison of Liquid Vs Gaseous Fuels
The following table gives an idea of various advantages and savings of gas firing over liquid firing

Product LPG Electricity HSD LDO FO Kerosene

Unit 1 KG 1 KWH 1 LITER 1 LITER 1 KG 1 LITER

Calorific Value in kcal/unit 11840 860 10500 10000 9500 10420
Fuel efficiency % 80 100 62 60 50 60
Effective CV PER UNIT 9472 860 6510 6000 4750 6252
(NEW DELHI) 34 5 30 27 20 28
Costing for 10000 kcal 35.32 58.14 46.08 45.00 42.11 44.79
Savings % by using LPG 64.62 30.49 27.42 19.22 26.81

The difference of fuel efficiency shown in above table comprises of following parameters;
1. Fuel Atomization , 2.Latent heat of vaporization, 3. Excess air , 4. Burning speed

Fuel atomization: Atomization of fuel needs external energy (by pump or compressor) to atomize before injecting the fuel in
to the combustion chamber. Heavier the fuel higher is the atomization cost. In case of gaseous fuel the same is absent,
giving gaseous fuels an advantage of 2-3%.

Latent heat of vaporization: During combustion process liquid fuel gets converted to vapor and the vaporization process
takes away the latent heat of vaporization from the combustion heat. The latent heat of various liquid fuels varies from
90-110 Kcal/ Kg. Gaseous fuels does not require any vaporization hence no such heat loss from the combustion process.

Excess Air: All fuels except gases are burnt 100% only at slightly positive pressure. This characteristic of liquids and solids
require combustion air being fed at more pressure than in case of gaseous fuels. Gaseous fuels are the only fuel which
can be burnt 100% at atmospheric pressure, requires less combustion air pressure hence less stack losses. This
characteristic of gaseous fuels gives an advantage of more than 10% over liquids in terms of less exhaust losses.

Burning Speed: The ability of gaseous fuels to burn faster than liquid and solid fuels ensure no unburnt fuel going in the
exhaust. This further improves the efficiency of gaseous fuels especially in case of high consumption applications.
Apart from above mentioned direct advantages the use of gas entails indirect advantages as well, which can be
summarized as below
 SENSORY PROPERTIES


COLOUR

LPG iscolorless

When liquid LPG is released from a container or a
pipe it vaporizes almost immediately. This
produces a cooling effect in the surrounding air
and may cause water vapour in the air to
condense, freeze and become visible. In this way,
LPG leak may be detected even though the gas
itself is invisible.

ODOUR

LPG by nature is odorless


LPG is generally odorized by adding ethyl mercaptan
in the approximate proportion of 0.45kg/ 37.9 m3 so
that its smell is detectable in air at concentrations
below 1/5th of the lower limit of flammability


TASTE

LPG vapors are tasteless and non-toxic
 Density

LPG Vapor

Defined as “mass of substance occupying a unit volume at a
stated temperature and pressure” - normally expressed in
terms of Kg/m3 (at a given temperature and pressure).

Density of LPG vapour is 1.5-1.8 Kgs/cu.M

About 1 ½ to 2 times as heavy as air

Any leakage of LPG tends to settle down at the floor
level particularly in depressions, pits, drains, etc. Floor
level ventilation to disperse the gas and thereby prevent
accumulation are, therefore, most important.
 Toxicity

Contains no toxic components such as carbon

monoxide and is, non poisonous. Slightly
anaesthetic when high concentrations are
breathed over long time resulting in an upset
stomach and headache, which are excellent
warning symptoms.
 Density
Liquid LPG


Mass of unit volume of a substance at a given
temperature. Normally expressed in terms of
gm/cm3 at particular temperature.

Since the density of water is 1 gm/cm3, and the
density of liquid LPG is about 0.55
gm/cm3, the latter is about ½ as heavy as water.

Used to calculate the maximum permissible filling
capacity.
Vapour pressure

Expressed in kgf/cm2

It is the pressure exerted by the vapour in equilibrium on liquid at
a specified temperature. It increases with temperature
or
 Equilibrium pressure developed at that temperature in a closed
container containing the liquid and its vapor only.


Depends upon the temperature of the liquid and the composition
in terms of the primary hydrocarbons present


An important parameter in the manufacture of LPG containers as
they are designed to withstand the maximum vapor pressure likely
to arise in actual use

LPG Cylinders are designed for vapour pressure of 16.87 kgf/cm2
at 650C

Storage (spheres/bullets) designed for maximum temperature and
vapour pressure of 550C and 15.85 kgf/cm2 respectively.

Vapour pressure has no relation to the quantity of liquid present
Vapour pressure


Propane : 22.66 kg/sq.cm @ 65 deg C

Butane : 6.32 kg/sq.cm @ 65 deg C

LPG : 16.87 kg/sq.cm @ 65 deg C

Boiling Point

The temperature at which the vapour pressure of a liquid
becomes equal to the external pressure

Normal boiling point is the temperature at which the vapour
pressure reaches 760 mm of mercury or one atmosphere.

BP of LPG presently marketed is in the range of 0 to
(-) 42 C

At temperatures nearer to 0C or at sub-zero temperatures,
the pressure inside the container will be almost the same as
atmospheric pressure

The product cannot be used at places where the ambient
temperature is nearer to zero or sub-zero.

Melting or Freezing Point

lowest temperature in the range at which liquid
assumes the solid state

value for propane and butane (the main
constituents of LPG) are –187 0C and –
137 0C respectively

such a low temperature that it can not be
encountered in normal operations/handling and,
therefore, does not have any practical
significance.

Latent heat of vaporization of liquid

heat needed to change a unit mass of liquid to
vapour without change in the temperature

expressed in Kilocalories per Kg. of the substance

the value decreases with an increase in
temperature.


Specific heat

Quantity of heat required to raise unit mass of a
substance through a unit temperature interval.

Vaporization

Vaporization is a process of conversion from the
liquid phase to the gaseous phase, accomplished
through the addition of heat.

Two methods of vaporizing LPG.
1. First method is carried out within the LPG container, the product
being withdrawn directly from the container in gaseous form.
Heat is drawn primarily from the surroundings of the LPG
container although some of the heat comes from the LPG
liquid and from the container’s body.
2. The second method of vaporization employs a special apparatus
known as ‘ Vaporizer’. liquid product is removed from the storage
container and delivered into a Vaporizer where heat is applied to
the liquid causing vaporization within the device

Critical Temperature

Highest temperature at which a substance can
exist in liquid state

Above this temperature, the substance is gaseous
and liquefaction is not possible irrespective of the
pressure applied.


Critical pressure

To obtain the substance in liquid form at the
critical temperature, a certain minimum pressure
is required which is known as the critical
pressure.
Combustion Properties

oxidation of the product or the combination of
oxygen, usually from air, with LPG vapour to form
carbon dioxide and water vapor.


One volume of liquid LPG will produce about 250
volumes of LPG vapour and combined with 6,500
volumes of air would form 6,750 volumes of
inflammable mixture which would cause
combustion on application of a temperature in
the range of 410 0 C to 580 0 C or more.
Calorific Value:
Calorific value is defined as the amount of heat
produced by complete combustion of unit mass
of the fuel. It is expressed in Kcal./kg. The
calorific value of LPG is very high and uniform
which makes it an ideal fuel.


Propane: 11900 Kcal/kg

Butane: 11800 Kcal/kg

LPG: 11840 Kcal/kg
Flammability

Explosive range – 1.8% to 9.5% vol of gas in air.


Entrapped air in vapour is hazardous during
pumping operation, so air pressure should not be
used to unload LPG.
Limits of In flammability:
Lower Limit Upper Limit
% Vol. % Vol.
Propane 2.0 10.0
Butane 1.5 9.0
Hydrogen 4.0 75.0
Natural Gas 3.0 14.0
Acetylene 2.5 80.0
LPG 1.8 9.5

LIMITS OF FLAMMABILITY

The range of fuel / air mixture falling between and
covering upper and lower limits of flammability is
known as “Flammability range”


IGNITION TEMPERATURE

The auto ignition temperature for propane and butane
is 4660 C and 4300 C respectively.

CO-EFFICIENT OF VOLUMETRIC
EXPANSION

Indicates the change in volume per unit volume of liquid for
each degree of temperature change

Propane, the expansion rate between 0C and (+) 400C is
approx. 13.2%, whereas the expansion rate of Butane for the
same temperature variation is approximately 8.0 %

Since the co-efficient of volumetric expansion of LPG is about
100 times that of steel, LPG container must only be filled to a
certain volume in order to leave sufficient space for LPG
expansion in case of rise in temperature.

 Safe filling ratio

 Danger of filling of vessel to the brim
Effects of water on LPG

Very low solubility of water in LPG, therefore
the identification is easy.

Water present can cause rust and freeze up of
valves, drain valves, excess flow check valves.

Ice formation may prevent the closure of drain
valves, bleeders in LPG vessels and lines, self
closing valves etc and result in leakage of LPG.
 Pyrophoric iron

Free iron entrained in LPG which is normally

inactive when contained in liquid LPG but when
exposed to air/oxygen ignites and can be a source
of ignition in the Bottling Plants.

Disposal through sand Pits

LPG properties
 LPG properties
Liquefied Petroleum Gas Specifications

Product Characteristics Commer Commer Commercial Propane HD - 5 Test Methods

cial cial B/P Mixtures
Propane Butane
Composition Predomi Predomi Predominantl Not less than ASTM D-2163
nantly nantly y mixtures of 90 liquid
propane butane butanes volume per
and/or and/or and/or butene cent propane;
propene butene with propane not more than
and/or 5 liquid volume
propene percent
propene

Vapour pressure at 100 F, psig 208 70 208 208 ASTM D-1267

Volatile residue
Temp at 95% evaporation deg C -38.3 2.2 2.2 -38.3 ASTM D-1837
Butane &heavier-liquid vol% max 2.5 - - 2.5 ASTM D-2163
Pentene &heavier–liquidvol% max - 2.0 2.0 - ASTM D-2163

Residual matter:
Residue on evprn of 100ml max 0.05ml - - 0.05ml ASTM D-2158
Oil stain observation pass pass - Pass ASTM D-2158
 LPG properties

Corrosion, Copper strip, max No 1 No 1 No 1 No 1 ASTM D-1838

Volatile sulphur, mg/kg, max 185 140 140 123 ASTM D-2784

Moisture Content Pass - - Pass GPA propane

dryness test
(cobalt bromide)
or D-2713

Free water Content - None None - -

An acceptable product shall not yield a persistent oil ring when 0.3ml of solvent residue mixture is added to a filter
paper in 0.1 increments and examined in daylight after 2 minutes
 LPG Standard IS 4576 - 1999
Sl No Characteristics Requirement for commercial Method of
Test, Ref to
Butane Butane Mixture Propane
i) Vapour pressure @ 400C – kPa, 520 1050 (Note 1550 D 1267
gauge, Max (note 1) 2)
ii) Composition, Liquid Volume Percentage - Report D 2163
a) C2 Hydrocarbons Report Report
b) C3 Hydrocarbons Report Report
c) C4 Hydrocarbons Report Report
d) C5 Hydrocarbons 2.5 2.5 Max
Max
e) Unsaturated Hydrocarbons OR Report Report
Volatility : Evaporation temperature in 0C 2.0 2.0 -38.0 D 1837
for 95 percent by volume at 760mm Hg
pressure, Max
iii) Total Volatile sulphur ppm, Max 150 150 150 D 2784/3246
iv) Copper strip corrosion at 38 0C for 1 h Not Worse than No 1 D 1838
v) Hydrogen Sulphide Pass Pass Pass D2420 (Note 3)

vi) Free water content None None None Visual

 Some points to ponder

DO NOT be overconfident when handling LPG

Safe filling of vessels – never overfill LPG vessels, OF cylds should attract immdt
attention

LPG vapor cannot be seen….its all around …therefore keep the Gas monitoring system
alive and working

‘Periodic draining of water from LPG

Beware of low lying areas in your BP, if any

Always connect bonding wires properly while decanting LPG bullets

Check for pyrophoric iron at low levels of Liq. LPG in the vessel or at the time of water
decantation

Use hand gloves where leakage of Liquid LPG is possible

Liquid LPG, if leaks, it can create more hazards compared to vapor leaks

Is a poor lubricant, therefore leaks are likely to occur through seals (of pumps,
compressors etc.), glands etc.

Check for proper design of vapor traps …maintain in unclogged condition.

In case of situation of fire, cool adjacent vessels & cylinders
Thank you for your patient hearing….

…………….Wish you a safe working environment