Propane

1. Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula C

3
H
8
, normally a gas, but
compressible to a transportable liquid.
2. A mixture of propane and butane, used mainly as vehicle fuel, is commonly known as liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG or LP gas). It may also contain small amounts of propylene and/or butylene.
3. Molecular Formula C
3
H
8

4. Appearance Color less gas
5. Odor Odorless gas
6. Density - 2.0098 mg mL
1
(at 0 C, 101.3 kPa)
7. Melting Point - -188 C, 85.5 K, -306 F
8. Boiling Point - -42--42 C, 230.9-231.3 K, -44--43 F
9. Propane was first identified as a volatile component in gasoline.
10. Propane is produced as a by-product of two other processes, natural gas processing and
petroleum refining. The processing of natural gas involves removal of butane, propane, and
large amounts of ethane from the raw gas, in order to prevent condensation of these volatiles in
natural gas pipelines.
11. Propane is nontoxic
12. Propane combustion is much cleaner than gasoline combustion, though not as clean as
natural gas combustion. The presence of CC bonds, plus the multiple bonds of
propylene and butylene, create organic exhausts besides carbon dioxide and water vapor
during typical combustion. These bonds also cause propane to burn with a visible flame.
13. Propane undergoes combustion reactions in a similar fashion to other alkanes. In the
presence of excess oxygen, propane burns to form water and carbon dioxide.
C
3
H
8
+ 5 O
2
3 CO
2
+ 4 H
2
O + heat
propane + oxygen carbon dioxide + water
14. When not enough oxygen is present for complete combustion, incomplete combustion
occurs when propane burns and forms water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and
carbon.
a. 2 C
3
H
8
+ 7 O
2
2 CO
2
+ 2 CO + 2 C + 8 H
2
O + heat
b. Propane + Oxygen Carbon dioxide + Carbon monoxide + Carbon + Water
15. Unlike natural gas, propane is heavier than air (1.5 times as dense). In its raw state, propane
sinks and pools at the floor. Liquid propane will flash to a vapor at atmospheric pressure and
appears white due to moisture condensing from the air.
16. The advantage of propane in cars is its liquid state at a moderate pressure. This allows fast refill
times, affordable fuel tank construction, and ranges comparable to (though still less than)
gasoline.
17. Propane is generally stored and transported in steel cylinders as a liquid with a vapor space
above the liquid. The vapor pressure in the cylinder is a function of temperature. When gaseous
propane is drawn at a high rate, the latent heat of vaporisation required to create the gas will
cause the bottle to cool.