Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : LPG vs LNG

 Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

⚡ LPG vs LNG – What’s the Difference?

🔹 LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)

✅ Composition:

• Mix of propane (C₃H₈) and butane (C₄H₁₀)

✅ Storage & Temperature:

• Ambient temperature under moderate pressure (5–10 bar) in pressurized tanks

✅ Density & Energy Content:

• Denser (0.55–0.58 kg/L) with higher energy per liter

✅ Applications:

• Cooking (household gas cylinders)

• Heating

• Autogas (vehicles)

• Industrial processes

✅ Safety Considerations:

• Heavier than air: can accumulate in low areas → explosion risk

• Easier to handle and transport than LNG

✅ Source & Production:

• Byproduct of natural gas processing and crude oil refining

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🔹 LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas)

✅ Composition:

• Primarily methane (CH₄) with traces of ethane and propane

✅ Storage & Temperature:

• Stored at -162 °C (-260 °F) in cryogenic tanks at atmospheric pressure

✅ Density & Energy Content:

• Lighter (0.45 kg/L) but higher energy per kilogram

✅ Applications:

• Power generation

• Industrial fuel

• Marine fuel (LNG-powered ships)

• Alternative to diesel in heavy transport

✅ Safety Considerations:

• Lighter than air: disperses quickly if leaked, lowering explosion risk

• Requires special cryogenic handling to prevent burns

✅ Source & Production:

• Extracted from natural gas fields, purified, and cooled to liquid

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🔍 Key Takeaway:

While LNG is rapidly emerging as a cleaner industrial and transportation fuel, LPG remains a critical source of energy for domestic and commercial heating, cooking, and vehicle fuel. Both fuels are essential to the global energy mix and have specific handling requirements.