University of Technology Properties of Petroleum Fuels Lecturer: Basheer Ahmed

Chemical Engineering Dept. 2nd Class/1st Semester 2020-2021 Lecture 4

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is the term applied to certain specific hydrocarbons
and their mixtures, which exist in the gaseous state under atmospheric ambient
conditions but can be converted to the liquid state under conditions of moderate
pressure at ambient temperature. Thus LPG is a hydrocarbon mixture containing
propane (C3H8), butane (C4H10), iso-butane [C4H10] and to a lesser extent propylene
(C3H6), or butylene (C4H8). The most common commercial products are propane,
butane, or some mixture of the two and are generally extracted from natural gas or
crude petroleum.
LPG as a liquid is colorless, and in vapor form it cannot be seen. Pure LPG has no
smell, but for safety reasons an odoring agent, usually a mercaptan, is added during
manufacture to aid detection at very low concentrations. LPG exists in a gaseous form
under normal atmospheric pressure and temperature. It is easily liquefied by moderate
pressure at ambient temperatures, which means it can be easily and conveniently
stored as a liquid, a big advantage over natural gas, which can be liquefied only at a
very low temperature and high pressure. LPG as a liquid is 250 times denser than
LPG as vapor, so a large quantity can be stored in a relatively small volume.

LPG has the following main uses:

1- LPG is used for cooking, central heating, space heating, and hot water supply, as
well as in a large number of appliances, such as ovens, stovetops
2- LPG is increasingly being used as automobile fuel because of its cost advantage
over gasoline and diesel. LPG is a clean-burning fuel. The absence of sulfur and
very low levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate emissions during its
combustion make LPG a most environmentally friendly source of energy.
3- In industry, LPG is used to power industrial ovens, kilns, furnaces, and for
various process heating applications. LPG is used in brick kilns and aluminum die
casting, in ceramics, and in glass manufacture. LPG is used to heat bitumen for
road building.
4- In agriculture, for crop drying, greenhouse heating, and running power
equipment.
5- As a feedstock for chemical manufacture

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University of Technology Properties of Petroleum Fuels Lecturer: Basheer Ahmed
Chemical Engineering Dept. 2nd Class/1st Semester 2020-2021 Lecture 4

Properties of LPG
1- LPGs are characterized by their high calorific values and a high degree of
purity.
2- Vapour pressure is one of the most important characteristics of LPG.
3- It determines the pressure that will be exerted by the gas at ambient
temperature and therefore affects the requirements for handling and the
designed working pressures of storage vessels.
4- LPG has a very low sulphur content.
5- The density of LPG in its liquid form is about half that of water.
6- It is heavier than air. In case of leak of LPG vapour, it will collect at ground
level.
7- The limits of flammability for LPG are much narrower than most other
gaseous fuels.
8- Small quantities of LPG vapour in air can form a flammable mixture.
9- LPG is odourless.
10- However, a distinctive odour is added to aid in detection in the case of
leakage.
11- LPG when vaporised leaves little or no residue.
12- LPG is non-corrosive to steel and generally to copper, copper alloys, or
aluminum. It has no lubricating properties. It is colourless in the liquid or
vapour phases.
Production of LPG
 There are two main sources of LPG. These are:
(а) Extraction of LPG from natural gas at well head; and
(b) Refining of crude oil.

AUTOMOTIVE LPG

Automotive LPG, or autogas, refers to the LPG used in automotive applications. LPG
consists mainly of propane, propylene, butane, and butylenes in various proportions.
The composition of autogas varies from country to country depending on the
prevailing ambient temperatures. In moderate ambient temperatures, autogas typically
consists of 60 to 70 percent propane and 30 to 40 percent butane. The addition of
butane slows down combustion speed in an engine and reduces NOx emissions.
Components of LPG are gases at normal ambient temperature and pressure but can be
easily liquefied for storage by an increase in pressure from 8 to 10 bar or a reduction
in temperature. LPG used in automobiles is stored in liquid form in an onboard steel
cylinder. LPG has a long and varied history in transportation applications. It is
estimated that more than 4 million automobiles use LPG worldwide at present. It has
been used in rural farming areas as fuel for farm machinery. LPG is used for some
special applications such as forklifts in warehouses. The use of LPG can result in
lower vehicle maintenance costs, lower emissions, and fuel cost savings compared
with conventional gasoline or diesel fuels. LPG is considered a particularly suitable

2
University of Technology Properties of Petroleum Fuels Lecturer: Basheer Ahmed
Chemical Engineering Dept. 2nd Class/1st Semester 2020-2021 Lecture 4

fuel for heavy vehicles, buses, and delivery vehicles because of its significantly lower
particulate emissions compared with diesel-powered buses. The use of LPG as
automotive fuel varies from country to country depending on the relative cost of
alternative fuels such as gasoline and diesel

Naphtha
Naphtha is a product of crude oil distillation process. Naphtha boiling point ranges
from 60–200 °C. Naphtha contains C5 to C13 hydrocarbons consisting of 55–65%
paraffin, 20–30% naphthalene and 10–15% aromatic compounds depending on type
of crude oil.
Naphtha is classified on the basis of boiling point as:
a. Light naphtha (bp below 100 oC)
b. Intermediate naphtha (bp 100–150 oC)
c. Heavy naphtha (bp above 150 oC).

Naphtha is also classified on the basis of process of distillation as:

a. Straight run naphtha—produced by atmospheric distillation of crude oil
b. Cracked naphtha—produced by conversion process like fluidized bed catalytic
cracking, hydro-cracking and coking.
Naphtha is used to enrich blast furnace gas in metallurgical plants when coke oven
gas is in short supply. The naphtha is vaporised and mixed with blast furnace gas for
use as fuel.

Uses of Naphthas
1- naphtha is used by paint
2- printing ink and polish manufacturers
3- in the rubber and adhesive industries as well as in the preparation of edible oils

To meet the demands of a variety of uses, certain basic naphtha grades are produced
that are identified by boiling range.The complete range of naphtha solvents may be
divided, for convenience, into four general categories:

1. Special boiling point spirits having overall distillation range within the limits of
30–165°C (86–329°F);
2. Pure aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene, xylenes, or mixtures (BTX)
thereof;
3. White spirit, also known as mineral spirit and naphtha, usually boiling within 150–
210°C (302–410°F);
4. High-boiling petroleum fractions boiling within the limits of 160– 325°C (320–
617°F).
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University of Technology Properties of Petroleum Fuels Lecturer: Basheer Ahmed
Chemical Engineering Dept. 2nd Class/1st Semester 2020-2021 Lecture 4

GASOLINE

is a mixture of volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbons derived from petroleum that is

used as fuel for internal combustion engines such as occur in motor vehicles,
excluding aircraft.
Gasoline may be defined as the fuel derived from crude oil, in the boiling range of 40
to 200oC, for use in spark-ignited internal combustion engines. Gasoline is one of the
most important petroleum products. Most passenger cars use gasoline as fuel, and the
demand for gasoline is directly linked to the growth of the automobile industry
Gasoline (also referred to as motor gasoline, petrol in Britain, benzine in Europe) is a
mixture of volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbons derived from petroleum that is
used as fuel for internal combustion engines such as occur in motor vehicles,
excluding aircraft, Gasoline consists of a very large number of different hydrocarbons
The boiling range of motor gasoline falls between –1°C and 216°C
The hydrocarbon constituents in this boiling range are those that have 4–12 carbon
atoms in their molecular structure and fall into three general types: (1) paraffins
(including the cycloparaffins and branched materials), (2) olefins, and (3) aromatics.
Gasoline boils at about the same range as naphtha (a precursor to gasoline) but below
kerosene. Thus gasoline is a mixture of hydrocarbons that boils below 180 oC or, at
most, below 200oC. The hydrocarbon constituents in this boiling range are those that
have 4–12 carbon atoms in their molecular structure.

The hydrocarbons produced by modern refining techniques (distillation, cracking,

reforming, alkylation, isomerization, and polymerization) provide blending
components for gasoline production.

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University of Technology Properties of Petroleum Fuels Lecturer: Basheer Ahmed
Chemical Engineering Dept. 2nd Class/1st Semester 2020-2021 Lecture 4

Aviation gasoline is form of motor gasoline that has been especially prepared for use
for aviation piston engines. It has an octane number suited to the engine, a freezing
point of −60°C, and a distillation range usually within the limits of 40°C–180°C
compared to -1°C–200°C for automobile gasoline. The narrower boiling range
ensures better distribution of the vaporized fuel through the more complicated
induction systems of aircraft engines. Aircraft operate at altitudes at which the
prevailing pressure is less than the pressure at the surface of the Earth (pressure at
17,500 ft is 7.5 psi compared to 14.7 psi at the surface of the Earth). Thus, the vapor
pressure of aviation gasoline must be limited to reduce boiling in the tanks, fuel lines,
and carburetors. Thus, the aviation gasoline does not usually contain the gaseous
hydrocarbons (butanes) that give automobile gasoline the higher vapor pressures.

Octane Number
The octane number is a relative measure of knocking, or the tendency to self-ignition
of a fuel in a spark-ignited internal combustion engine. In a normal cycle, the fuel-air
mixture is ignited at the end of the compression stroke by a spark plug. If fuel has too
low an octane number, it may spontaneously ignite during the compression stroke
itself due to the temperature rise during adiabatic compression or from hot spots in the
engine. This kind of ignition, called preignition, can quickly damage the engine. Fuels
with a high normal paraffin content have a low octane and can
cause preignition.