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A mixture of gaseous petroleum compounds, principally butane and
propane, together with smaller quantities of similar gases, is known
as liquified petroleum gas (LPG). LPG is used as fuel for internal
combustion engines, mostly in the truck and farm tractor fields. It
is chemically similar to gasoline, since it consists of a mixture of
compounds of hydrogen and carbon, but it is a great deal more
volatile. It is a vapor and when used as a fuel, a special kind of
carburetor is required. When LPG is stored or transported, it is
compressed and cooled so that it is a liquid. It is under tremendous
pressure and needs extremely strong tanks. LPG is made of surplus
material in the oil fields. It is becoming more widely used as an
increasing number of trucks and tractors are being fitted with the
equipment required to make use of it. Besides being low in cost, LPG
has the advantage of having a high octane value (93 for pure butane;
100 for propane). Since it is a dry gas, LPG does not create carbon
in an engine, and does not cause dilution of the engine oil. As a
result, maintenance and internal parts replacement is highly reduced.
Oil changes are also less frequent because it is a cleaner burning
fuel than gasoline. Other advantages are easy cold weather starting,
lack of exhaust odor, and elimination of evaporation.
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