Evaluation Of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Quality Conformity Based On Hydrocarbon Composition And Ethyl Mercaptan Content With Reference To The Directorate General Of Oil And Gas Standard
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21009/JRSKT.092.11Keywords:
ethyl mercaptan, gas chromatography-flame ionization detector, hydrocarbon composition, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)Abstract
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is a major energy source in Indonesia’s household, commercial, and industrial sectors; therefore, its quality must be controlled to ensure combustion performance and user safety. This study evaluated the hydrocarbon composition and ethyl mercaptan content of LPG samples and their conformity with the Decree of the Director General of Oil and Gas No. 116.K/10/DJM/2020. Five mixed-LPG samples were analysed at the Gas Composition Laboratory of BBPMGB LEMIGAS. Hydrocarbon composition (C₂–C₅) was determined by Gas Chromatography–Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID) according to ASTM D2163, while ethyl mercaptan content was measured using a length-of-stain gas detector tube following ASTM D5305. The GC-FID system was verified using a Certified Reference Material (CRM), and all thirteen measured components were within the CRM acceptance ranges, confirming instrument suitability. Samples 1 and 2 complied with the C₂ limit (max 0.80 %vol), while Samples 3, 4, and 5 exceeded the limit with values of 0.9300, 0.8510, and 1.0281 %vol, respectively. All samples met the C₃+C₄ and C₅+ requirements. Ethyl mercaptan contents of Samples 1–4 (1.8–3.9 lb/10,000 AG) met the minimum requirement, whereas Sample 5 did not (0.96 lb/10,000 AG). Overall, only Samples 1 and 2 satisfied all tested parameters, indicating that LPG quality evaluation requires multiple quality parameters.
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