Facts about Propane
Propane combustion is much cleaner than gasoline, though not as clean as natural gas.
The processing of natural gas involves removal of propane and butane from the natural gas, to prevent condensation of these liquids in natural gas pipelines.
Propane is imported into the United States via pipeline and rail from Canada, and by tankers from Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
Propane is also instrumental in providing off-the-grid refrigeration, also called gas absorption refrigerators.
Propane powers some locomotives, buses, forklifts, and taxis and is used for heat and cooking in recreational vehicles and campers.
Propane was first identified as a volatile component in gasoline by Dr. Walter O. Snelling of the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1910.
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Liquid propane will flash to a vapor at atmospheric pressure and appears white due to moisture condensing from the air.
Today, the Unilever Ice Cream company and others are exploring the use of environmentally friendly propane as a refrigerant.
Americans who take their grills overseas — such as military personnel — can find U.S.-specification propane at AAFES military post exchanges.
On an aside, North American barbecue grills powered by propane cannot be used overseas.
Propane is not produced for its own sake, but as a byproduct of two other processes: natural gas processing and petroleum refining.
When commonly sold as fuel, it is also known as liquified petroleum gas (LPG or LP-gas) and can be a mixture of propane with smaller amounts of propylene, butane, and butylene.
Propane is the fastest growing fuel source in the Third World, especially in China and India.
Propane is also being used increasingly for vehicle fuels In the U.S., 190,000 on-road vehicles use propane, and 450,000 forklifts use it for power.
The supply of propane cannot be easily adjusted to account for increased demand because of the by-product nature of propane production.
Propane, naturally a gas but commonly compressed into a liquid for transportation, is used as a fuel for engines, barbecues, and home heating systems.
Propane is generally stored and transported in steel cylinders as a liquid with a vapor space above the liquid.
After it is produced, North American propane is stored in huge salt caverns located in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, Mont Belvieu, Texas, and Conway, Kansas.
Propane is nontoxic; however, when abused as an inhalant it poses a mild asphyxiation risk through oxygen deprivation.
When the propane is needed, most of it is shipped by pipelines to other areas of the Midwest, the North, and the South, for use by customers.
Propane was first identified as a volatile component in gasoline by Dr. Walter O. Snelling of the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1910.
When not enough oxygen is present for complete combustion, propane burns to form water and carbon monoxide.
When properly burned, propane produces about 2,500 BTU of heat per cubic foot of gas.
Propane is a three-carbon alkane, normally a gas, but compressible to a liquid that is transportable.
Made popular by the Servel company, propane-powered refrigerators are highly efficient, do not require electricity, and have no moving parts.
North American industries using propane include glass makers, brick kilns, poultry farms, and other industries that need portable heat.
