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Properties and Hazards of LPG
Properties
LPG is liquefied petroleum gas and is:
- Obtained during the processing of crude oil, or direct from the North Sea.
- Colourless and odourless. An odourising agent is added before distribution to give its characteristic smell.
- Half as heavy as water when in liquid form. It will float on water before vapourising.
- Easily liquefied by pressure, taking up only around 1/250th of its gaseous volume. This means that a large amount of LPG can be stored in a small place.
- Either commercial butane or commercial propane. These are similar in use but propane has a boiling point and hence a higher storage pressure. Commercial propane is predominantly an outdoor fuel.
At ambient temperature (i.e. 15 degrees Celcius), propane and butane bottles contain the following pressures:
- Commercial BUTANE
- 2BAR (28psig)
- Commercial PROPANE
- 7BAR(100psig)
Hazards
LPG:
- LPG is approximately twice as heavy as air when in gas form and will tend to sink to the lowest possible level and may accumulate in cellars, pits, drains etc.
- LPG in liquid form can cause severe cold burns to the skin owing to its rapid vapourisation.
- Vapourisation can cool equipment so that it may be cold enough to cause cold burns.
- LPG forms a flammable mixture with air in concentrations of between 2% and 10%.
- It can, therefore, be a fire and explosion hazard if stored or used incorrectly.
- Vapour/air mixtures arising from leakages may be ignited some distance from the point of escape and the flame can travel back to the source of the leak.
- At very high concentrations vapour can have an anaesthetic effect and subsequently become an asphyxiant by diluting the available oxygen.
- A cylinder that has contained LPG is normally empty but may still contain LPG vapour and be potentially dangerous. Therefore treat all LPG cylinders as if they were full.


