Propane Properties

Page 1 of 4

P ROPANE P ROPERTIES
Commercial Propane Commercial Butane C4H10 0C 32F -138C -260F 0.58 2.00 4.81 lb 5.8 lb 0.550 Btu/lb 0.385 Btu/lb 31.26 ft3 38 ft3 6.5 ft3 27.6 MJ 0.58 kg/L 1720

General Properties
Formula

C3 H8 -42C -44F -187.8C -310F 0.51 1.52 4.20 lb 5.1 lb 0.590 Btu/lb 0.405 Btu/lb 36.38 ft3 44 ft3 8.5 ft
3

Boiling Point at 14.7 psia Freezing Point, at Atmospheric Pressure Specific Gravity of Liquid at 60F Specific Gravity of Vapour at 60F (Air =1) Mass per US Gallon of Liquid at 60F (15.5C) Mass per Imperial Gallon of Liquid @ 60F (15.5C) Specific Heat of Liquid @ 60F (15.5C) Specific Heat of Vapour @ 60F (15.5C) Vapour per US Gallon @ 60F (15.5C) Vapour per Imperial Gallon @ 60F (15.5C) Vapour per Pound @ 60F (15.5C) Gross Energy per Litre Density @ 15C Litres per Tonne kWh per US Gallon Vapourization Rate (Liquid to Vapour)

24.7 MJ 0.51 kg/L 1960 26.9 272:1

Latent Heat of Vapourization at Boiling Point 1

(a) Btu per Pound (b) Btu per US Gallon (c) Btu per Imperial Gallon (d) Btu per Litre 185 773 944 209 166 808 968 215

Total Heating Values after Vapourization 1

(a) Btu per Cubic Foot (b) Btu per Pound (c) Btu per US Gallon (d) Btu per Imperial Gallon (e) kJ per Litre (f) kJ per kg 2520 21 622 91 502 109 956 24 700 49 700 3260 21 190 102 032 122 900 27 600 49 400

1 Source: Canadian Standards Association, Propane Storage and Handling Code. 2005

Propane Properties

Page 2 of 4

Commercial Propane

Octane Data2
Road Octane Number 104

Combustion Data 3
Air required to burn 1 ft3 of gas (a) Lower (b) Upper Ignition Temp F Ignition Temp C Maximum rate of flame propagation in a 1" tube Maximum rate of flame propagation in a 25 mm tube % of gas in air for maximum flame temp Maximum Flame Temp in Air 23.5 ft3 2.4 9.5 9201020 493549 32 in/s 813 mm/s 4.4 3600F 30.0 ft3. 1.9 8.5 9001000 482538 33 in/s 838 mm/s 3.5 3625F Limits of Flammability in Air, % of Vapour in Air-Gas Mixture:

Products of Combustion 3
ft3 of carbon dioxide (CO2) / ft3 of gas ft of water vapour (H2 O) / ft of gas ft3 of nitrogen (N2) / ft3 of gas
3 3

3.0 4.0 18.5

3.9 5.0 23.6

2 Natural Resources Canada: http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/fuels/propane/propane-safety.cfm?attr=8 3 Source: Canadian Standards Association, Propane Storage and Handling Code. 2005

Propane Properties

Page 3 of 4

Engineering Units Conversion Factors4

Multiply By To Obtain Multiply By To Obtain

Pressure
atm Atmospheres atm atm Inches of Mercury inHg inHg inWC Inches of Water inWC inWC Kilo Pascals KG per cm2 kPa kg/cm2 psi psi Pounds per square inch psi psi psi psi 1.0332 14.70 404.17 0.0142 0.4912 1.133 0.0735 0.5781 100 14.22 Kilogram per cm
2

Length (continued)
Yards Yards Volume Cubic centimeter Cubic feet Cubic feet Cubic feet Cubic feet Cubic feet Gallons (imperial) Gallons (US) Gallons (US) Gallons (US) Gallons (US) Liters Liters Liters Liters Pints (US) cm3 cuft cuft cuft cuft cuft gal gal gal gal gal L L L L pnt 0.06103 Cubic inches 0.0276 28.316 1728 Gallons (US) Liters Cubic inches yrd yrd 0.9144 91.44 Meters Centimeters Pounds per square inch Inches of Water Pounds per square inch Feet of Water Pounds per square inch Inches of Mercury Ounces per square inch bar Pounds per square inch

0.76923 Cubic yards 0.028317 Cubic meters 1.20095 Gallons (US) 0.1337 3.785 231 0.2642 1.057 2.113 0.4732 Cubic feet Liters Cubic inches Gallons (US) Quarts (US) Pints (US) Liters

0.83267 Gallons (Imperial)

0.06804 Atmospheres 0.07031 Kilogram per cm2 6.894757 kPa 0.06897 bar 2.036 27.67 Inches of Mercury Inches of Water

0.03531 Cubic feet

Length
Centimeters Feet Feet Feet Inches Inches Kilometers Meters Meters Meters Miles, nautical Miles, statute cm ft ft ft in in km m m m mls mls 0.3937 0.3048 30.48 304.8 2.54 25.4 0.6214 1.094 3.281 39.37 1853.0 1609.0 Inches Meters Centimeters Millimeters Centimeters Millimeters Miles Yards Feet Inches Meters Meters

Miscellaneous
BTU Calories Kilogram Kilowatt Hour Ounces Pounds Pounds Pounds BTU cal kg kWh oz lb lb lb 252.0 3.968 2.205 3412 28.35 0.4536 21 600 Calories BTU Pounds BTU Grams Kilograms Propane BTU

453.5924 Grams (metric)

4 Source: Canadian Standards Association, Propane Storage and Handling Code. 2005

Propane Properties

Page 4 of 4

Converting Volumes of Gas5

(CFH to CFH or CFM to CFM) Multiply Flow of Air By .71 1.29 .81 1.45 1.83 1.15 .77 .55 .63 1.23 .87 1.58 To Obtain Flow of Butane Natural Gas Propane Air Natural Gas Propane Air Butane Propane Air Butane Natural Gas

Butane

Natural Gas

Propane

Propane Required for Average Appliances, Boilers, and Internal Combustion Engines 5
(Note: For accuracy, consult the manufacturers Btuh rating) Appliance Domestic Gas Range (4-burner top) Domestic Gas Range (6-burner top) Domestic built-in Oven or broiler unit Domestic built-in cook top unit Domestic hot plate, per burner Domestic Room Heater, single radiant Domestic Room Heater, double radiant Water heater, storage type, slow recovery Water heater, storage type, fast recovery Domestic clothes dryer Conversion burner Refrigerator Warm-Air Furnace Steam boilers, per boiler horsepower (kW) Internal combustion engines per horsepower (kW) Btuh 65 000 105 000 25 000 40 000 9000 12 000 12 000 10 000 85 000 2000 10 000 15 000 75 000 35 000 25 000 750 000 2000 4000 40 000 300 000 60 000 75 000 9000 10 000 (kW) (19) (31) (7) (12) (2.6 3.5) (3.5) (3 25) (0.7 3) (4.4 22) (10) (7 220) (0.6 1.2) (12 88) (17.6 22) (3.5 3.9)

5 Source: Canadian Standards Association, Propane Storage and Handling Code. 2005