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Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)

LPG or LP Gas is the abbreviation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas. LPG is the generic name for commercial propane and commercial butane. It is called Liquefied Petroleum Gas because these gases liquefy under moderate pressure. They liquefy at moderate pressures, readily vaporizing upon release of pressure. It is this property that permits transportation of and storage of LP Gas in concentrated liquid form.

LPG comes from two sources. It can be obtained from the refining of crude oil. When produced this way it is generally in pressurized form. LPG is also extracted from natural gas or crude oil streams coming from underground reservoirs. 60% of LPG in the world today is produced this way whereas 40% of LPG is extracted from refining of crude oil.

It is colorless and odourless. It is slightly heavier than air and hence if there is a leak it flows to lower lying areas. In liquid form, its density is half that of water and hence it floats initially before it is vaporized. It is non-toxic but can cause asphyxiation in very high concentrations in air. LPG expands upon release and 1 liter of liquid will form approximately 250 liters of vapor.

LPG is used as a fuel for domestic (cooking), industrial, horticultural, agricultural, heating and drying processes. LPG is also used as an automotive fuel or as a propellant for aerosols, in addition to other specialist applications. LPG can also be used to provide lighting through the use of pressure lanterns.

The clean burning properties and portability of LPG makes it an excellent substitute for traditional biomass fuels such as wood, coal, and other organic matter like cow dung cakes charcoal briquettes etc

The LPG has become very popular fuel source because of the following reasons:

  • It is a mixture of relatively few components, so it is easy to achieve the correct fuel to air mix ratio that allows the complete combustion of the product. This gives LPG it's clean burning characteristics.
  • Both Propane and Butane are easily liquefied and stored in pressure containers. These properties make the fuel highly portable, and can be transported in tankers.
  • LPG is a good substitute for petrol in spark ignition engines because of its clean burning properties.
  • It is a good replacement for aerosol propellants and refrigerants, LPG provides alternatives to fluorocarbons (CFC) which are responsible for the depletion in ozone layer.
The disadvantage of LPG is that it is very volatile. This means that it tends to vaporize easily and it is a flammable gas. However, if approved procedures of use and transportation are followed it ensures complete safety to anyone using Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

[top] [end]Related Topics

[top] [end]External links and references

http://iei-asia.org/IEIBLR-Cleancooking-Presentation.pdf

http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/pdfs/john_joseph.pdf

http://www.petrosin.com/LPGMarketing.asp

http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=pk-en

http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/nov2005-daily/08-11-2005/business/b3.htm

http://www.coreintl.com/core_library/GVEPSupportSriLankaonActionPlanDevelopment.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquefied_petroleum_gas

http://www.worldlpgas.com/

[top] [end]Contributors



User:Grant Ballard-Tremeer 1 September 2003

User:Dr Karabi Dutta 22 May 2007



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Page created: 01 September 2003; Last edited: 19 August 2007; Version: 6
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Pagename: LiquifiedPetroleumGas @HEDON: WCAA