PROPANE Applications:

3 (a) Industrial Uses of Propane

The advantages are many:

1. Versatility and accurate process control
2. Longer crucible life in case of kilns and furnaces
3. Direct firing without alteration or discoloration
4. No contamination of fume problems with unburnt fuels
5. Intense and controllable temperature upto 1600 OC
6. Minimum carbon deposits reducing downtimes and contamination
7. Controllability- burners can be adjusted instantly to precise temperatures
8. Clean burning- lead free, sulphur free, carbon free. Being free from contamination residues, leading to better product quality, lesser down times and no re-working costs
9. In drying ovens, more efficient and need less maintenance than oil systems because of one step heat transfer
10. Thermo-static controls imply that only the minimum necessary fuel is used
11. In metal work: safe, no risk for overheating or blow black. Produces a cleaner cut than oxyacetylene due to greater flame stability. Cutting temperature upto 1900 O C.
12. Constant, controllable bath temperatures for homogenous melting operations.

3 (b) Process Firing

In industries, Propane is mostly used for Process Heating. Being clean burning it does not leave residues of any kind for which it is highly valued in industrial processes requiring cleanliness, high energy heat and precise results. Many industries already use Propane to power process furnaces, dryers, ovens and kilns.

Batch furnaces: “Batches” of material are placed into these for processing

Continuous furnaces: materials are processed constantly and move through these furnaces in a conveyor

Direct-fired furnaces: this may be Propane’s most desired industrial use. The products of combustion come in direct contact with the materials being treated. Propane’s clean burning qualities permit it to be used in
direct-fired situations where less clean fuels, such as fuel oil, could produce imperfect results.

Glass Plant furnaces: Propane is the preferred energy source in glass plants, where it is used as a fuel to power melting furnaces, annealing furnaces and tempering furnaces

Heat treatment of metals: Propane gas is used for bright heat treatment of low-carbon steels, bright annealing
of copper, bright blazing of steel, and steel brazing of non-ferrous metals and low carbon steel powders.

Indirect-fired Furnaces: In these furnaces, combustion products do not come in direct contact with those items being heated. These type of furnaces include muffle, radiant tube and sealed crucible.

Kilns: One of the most common Propane gas industrial applications is to provide heat for all types of kilns

Ovens: Propane also fires ovens used in core baking, curing and forming

Process Heat Dryers: Some of these units include spray dryers, room dryers, paper dryers, conveyor dryers,
rotary dryers, pan dryers and tunnel dryers.

Captive Power generation: Propane is used for generating captive power and electricity.

3 (c) Applications of Propane

1. PROCESS HEATING: textile, glass, television, bearing, automobile
2. KILNS & FURNACES: ceramics, incinerators, heat treatment
3. DRYING OVENS: paint shops, food processing, ink printing, tobacco curing, tea
   drying
4. METAL WORK: cutting, brazing
5. METAL FABRICATION/CUTTING: melting, casting, wire drawing, forming, forging
6. POWER GENERATION: captive power plants
7. AEROSOL: as HAP (Hydrocarbon Aerosol Propylent)
8. HOTEL & CATERING: hotels, hospitals, agriculture, horticulture, poultry