Home Work 2 Salman Salem Alshammari

1. What is the difference between Natural gas, Refinery gas and

Liquefied petroleum gas?

 LPG

o Liquefied Petroleum Gas can be defined as a mixture of hydrocarbons mainly

propane, propylene, normal and iso-butane. Traces (very small amount) of methane
and pentane may be present.

 NG (Natural Gas)

o Natural gas (NG) and Refinery gases (RG) are considered as raw materials for LPG
production. The main constituent of NG is methane, ethane, propane, butane and
some impurities (HIS, S, Oz, N›).

 Refinery eases

Refinery gases are classified into three main types according to the process by which it
produced. These types are:

o Distillation gases.

o Cracking gases.

o Reforming gases.

2. What is propane commercial specification in petroleum refineries?

Commercial propane composed of propane and/or propylene with free of corrosive

compound and entrained water.
The vapor pressure of C3 at 100 F not more than 210 psig.
o The total content of C2 hydrocarbons shall not exceed 5.0% mole
o The total content of ethylene shall not exceed 1.0 % mole

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Home Work 2 Salman Salem Alshammari

o The total content of C4 and higher hydrocarbons shall not exceed 10

% moles
o The total content of CS and higher hydrocarbons shall not exceed 2
% moles
o The vapor pressure at 45 °C (113 °F) shall not be greater than
17.6 bar (255 lbf/in2 gauge).
o The total content of sulfur shall not exceed 0.02 % by weight.

3. What is butane commercial specification in petroleum refineries?

Commercial butane composed of butane and/or butylenes with free of corrosive
compound and entrained water.
The vapor pressure of C4 at 100 F not more than 70 psig.

4. What is the vapor pressure of the main components in LPG?

The vapor pressure of C3 (Propane) at 100 F not more than 210 psig.
The vapor pressure of C4 (Butane) at 100 F not more than 70 psig.

s. What is the Vapor pressure of the following LPG’s?

o Pure propane at 0 C
o (58 psig)
o 20 % C3 and 80 % C4P 50 F
o (24 psig)

o 50 % C3 and 50 % C4P 10 F
o (17 psig)

o 90 % C3 and 10 % C4P 25 C
o (113 psig)

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Home Work 2 Salman Salem Alshammari

6. Find the gross calorific value of the following LPG’s?

o Pure propane in units of BTU/Ib and BTU/ft3

o 20 % C3 and 80 % C4 in units of BTU/Ib
o 50 % C3 and 50 % C4 in units of MJ/Kg

o 90 % C3 and 10 % C4 in units of MJ/m3

7. What is the sulfur content in standard LPG?

Compared to most other widely available fuels, with the exception of natural gas, LPG
has a very low sulfur content which is strictly controlled within tight specification limits.

8. If there is a leak of LPG vapor it will collect at ground level or

in depressions, drains or cellars. Explain?

Natural gas is lighter than air; propane and butane vapors are, respectively, 1.5 times and
twice as heavy as air.

9. Compare the average properties of commercial Propane and Butane?

Properties Commer Commerci
cial al Butane
Vapor pressure, psig Propane
at 70 F 124 31
at 100 F 192 65
at 130 F 286 97
Sp.gr. Of liquid at 60 F 0.509 0.582
Initial boiling point F —51 15
Wt./gal. of liquid at 60 F 4.24 4.84
Sp.Heat, BTU/Ib F 0.404 0.382

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Home Work 2 Salman Salem Alshammari

Max. flame temp in air, F 3595 3615

% gas in air for max. flame 4.4—4.2 3.4—3.3
Sp.Vol. of gas at 60 F 8.55 6.50

10. What are limits of flammability? What are the values of these limits

for Propane and Butane?

As a combustible gas is gradually mixed air in increasing proportions, a concentration is

reached at which the mixture just become flammable. This is known as the lower limit of
flammability (LFL)
As the concentration of the gas in air is further increased, a point is reached at the
mixture ceases to burn, and the concentration of the gas just before this point is reached
is called the upper limit of flammability. (UFL)
Propane UFL 4.4% LFL 4.2%
Butane UFL 3.4% LFL 3.3%

11. What is the mass percent of thiophane or amyl mercaptan in commercial

LPGi
1 pound of thiophane or 1.4 pound of amyl mercaptan per 10,000 pound LPG)
Mass percentage of Thiophane will be 0.01 %
Mass percentage of amyl mercaptan will be 0.014%

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12. What are uses of LPG?

1. Domestic Uses
o House heating

o Cooking

o Water heating
o Clothes drying

o Tractor, truck motor fuel

2. Commercial Uses
o Steam boiler

o Baking oven

o Space heating

3. Petrochemicals (as raw materials)

o Alcohol
o Organic Acid

o Detergents
o Plastic

o Synthetic Rubber
o Ethylene Glycol

4. Chemical Uses (Direct Application)

o Degreasing of food products

o Solvent Extraction of vegetable oils

o Color control of soaps

o Dewaxing and Deasphalting Detergents

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13. What are the standard experimental evaluation methods of LPG?

1. Composition Test Methods

o Mass spectrometry

o Low-temperature Fractional Distillation

o Chromatographic Methods

2. Unsaturated Hydrocarbons (Olefins)

o Silver Mercuric Nitrate Method (ASTM D 1268-55)

o Absorption in bromine water.

o Absorption in sulfuric acid.

o Catalytic hydrogenation.

3. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)

- Copper strip method.

- Solution lead actuate method.
- Absorbing in neutral cadmium sulfate solution followed by iodimetric

titration.
4. Color

- Colorimetrically by passing a measured volume of gas through a filter paper

treated with a solution of copper oleate in carbon tetrachloride. The filter paper
is then exposed to direct sunlight or ultraviolet light. The color intensity is
compared with set of standard papers.

5. Mercaptans

- By absorption in an alkaline cadmium sulfate solution, followed by iodimetric

titration. If hydrogen sulfide present, it must first removed by absorption in

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neutral cadmium sulfate solution.