BASIC FACTS ON LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS

LPG is the acronym for Liquefied Petroleum Gas. LPG is a colourless, odourless gas, which is highly inflammable. In order to detect releases of LPG from equipment and storage cylinders it has been given a distinctive odour. Because LPG is highly inflammable (flammability limits is 2% to 10% by volume in air), there should be no ignition sources near areas where LPG is stored. In Ghana LPG is a mixture of Propane and Butane (20% Propane & 80% Butane). LPG is heavier than air. It is therefore difficult to disperse and should never be used or stored below ground level as this could result in suffocation when released in a confinedspace. Liquid LPG is about half the weight of water and therefore floats on top of water LPG is stored in cylinders under pressures approximately 7 bars (100 psi) as a liquid. It changes to gas when released into the atmosphere at room/ambient temperature. One volume of liquid LPG will produce approximately 250 volumes of gas when vapourised. When LPG burns it combines with air to produce carbon dioxide and water vapour. However if there is inadequate air and/or ventilation, or poor mixing of the air and gas, toxic carbon monoxide gas can be produced. As a result it is therefore necessary to open the kitchen windows when cooking to allow for complete combustion For every litre of liquid LPG burnt, approximately over one litre of water vapour is produced. Liquid LPG freezes on contact with skin due to the rapid loss of heat caused by liquid vaporization. This results in cold burns. It acts as a solvent on certain petroleum and natural rubber compounds. So hoses have to be of special resistant materials in order to prevent reaction with the LPG. ‘Empty’ cylinders are still dangerous because they are NOT empty. There is still a residual amount of gas inside an ‘empty’ cylinder which can ignite and produce an explosion.