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LPG vs LNG: the debate of which is the better industrial fuel?
There are three grades of propane, differing in consistency, and all having different purposes. All grades of propane come from the same raw materials (crude oil or natural gas). The creation of differing grades of propane is during the refining or processing of the gas at the refinery.
Before going into the grades, let’s discuss about the basics of LPG.
A brief overview of what LPG is:
LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is a homogenous mixture of Butane and Propane primarily. It is a clean fuel, and some of the properties that make it widely used and preferable are:
Low boiling point- LPG (propane) boils at -42°C or –44°F, becoming gas vapor. LPG stays liquid because it is under pressure in a gas cylinder.
Highly inflammable - LPG forms a flammable mixture with air in concentrations of between 2% and 10%. It is a fire and explosion hazard if stored or used incorrectly.
High calorific value - LPG has a high calorific value of 11,900 Kcal/Kg resulting in optimal efficiency heat output.
Colourless and Odourless - LPG is naturally colourless and odourless, and an odorant called ethyl mercaptan is added to assist in detecting leaks.
High volumetric expansion - LPG expansion is 270 times the volume of gas to the volume of liquid. So, 1L of liquid LPG (propane) expands to equal 270L of gaseous LPG expansion.
Now, let us discuss Refinery and Straight Run grade LPG processes-
Propane quality refers to the difference between how propane is refined and processed, precisely the proportion of propylene, butanes, and ethane. Refineries produce three grades of commercial propane, all refined from the same raw materials but differing in propane consistency and purpose.
Refinery grade LPG is obtained through the fractional distillation process, and it has high Sulphur Content and Unsaturated hydrocarbons. SR grade LPG is directly extracted from "Natural Gas" fields and has negligible Sulphur Content and almost zero Unsaturated hydrocarbons.
Looking at some of the most important metrics of SR vs Refinery grade LPG:
|
Straight Run GRADE |
REFINERY GRADE |
|
Less Leftover & Less LPG Consumption with High Vapour Pressure |
Higher Leftover & High LPG Consumption with Low Vapour Pressure |
|
Preferred product for Industrial Use |
Less Preferred as it has high unsaturates |
|
No Chance of Condensation of LPG pipeline |
Higher possibility of Condensation of LPG pipeline |
|
Perfect Quality of the End product |
Defective End product |
|
Higher Heat Transfer Efficiency |
Lower Heat Transfer Efficiency |
|
No Chance of Deposition of Carbon at the Burner Nozzle |
Deposition of Carbon at the Burner Nozzle |
|
Nil Unsaturates and Breakdown |
Higher Unsaturates leading to a breakdown |
|
Complete Combustion |
Partial/Incomplete Combustion |
|
No Chance of Chocking of Filters& Gas Train |
Higher Chances of Chocking of Filters & Gas Train |
The SR Grade LPG of SUPERGAS plays a vital role in many industrial applications like Paper Dyring, EndoGas Generation, Carburizing, Propelling and Brazing, to name a few. We are the only LPG suppliers in India to have obtained the Certificate of Analysis from the prestigious Bureau Veritas.
We deliver the safest, most reliable, highest-performing LPG energy solutions in the industry. "Safety" is our number one value, and we make the safety of our people, our clients, and our products our top priority!
Call us at 9121177930 or send your queries to industrialsupport@supergas.com. Be rest assured that our experts will address your fuel requirements at the earliest!
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