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Industrial Hygiene: Propylene
Group,
Just a small comment on last week's subject wrt the 'radon' MSDS of
propylene:
If any radon is present in propylene is very much dependent on the source of
the propane, from which propylene is obtained by a cracking process and
subsequent fractionating. Propylene is a very versatile feedstock for the
(petro)chemical industry.
In principle there are two sources for propane:
1) fluidised catalytic cracking (FCC) of crude oil/heavy residue (main
gasoline producing process), producing also the smaller alkanes ethane,
propane, butane, etc.
2) propane present in so-called Natural Gas Liquids (NGL, generally a
mixture of ethane, propane, butanes, etc.)
In case propane is derived from the first process, there will be no radon in
the propane, and consequently also not in the propylene.
In case propane is obtained via fractionating of NGL, radon seems to favor
the propane phase. Some gas fields may produce considerabel amounts of NGL
(a valuable product). To my knowledge the highest radon concentrations
reported in NGL are about 1500 Bq/L, while after fractionating the propane
phase may be as high as 4500 Bq/L. To my knowledge nothing is known on the
radon (re)concentration of the propylene phase after cracking and subsequent
(re)fractionating.
Has anyone on the list any experimental data on the (potential) radon
contents of propylene??
Kind Regards, Gert Jonkers
CTAN - Analytical - Nuclear Measurement Techniques
http://sww.ksla.shell.nl/analytical/skills/nuclearmea/1.html
Radiotracer applications,
Gamma-transmission and Neutron BackScatter (NBS) measurements
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM)
Radiological Protection Advice
Shell Research and Technology Centre, Amsterdam (SRTCA),
http://www.srtca.shell.nl/welcome.html
PO Box 38000, NL-1030 BN Amsterdam, the Netherlands
tel. +31 - 20 - 630 3424
fax +31 - 20 - 630 2911
e-mail Gert.G.Jonkers@OPC.Shell.COM
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