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Propylene Description: Propylene (C.A.S. 115-07-1) is a colorless gas that is used in its polymerized form as polypropylene for plastics and carpet fibers. It is also used as a chemical intermediate in the manufacturing of n-butanol, acetone, isopropylbenzene, isopropanol, isopropyl halides, propylene oxide, acrylonitrile, isopropyl alcohol, synthetic glycerol, acrylonitrile, heptene, polymer gasoline, acrylic acid, vinyl resins, and cumene. It is used in the production of synthetic rubber, and as an aerosol propellant and component. Some sources of propylene are biological; it is a component of garlic essential oils, European fir, Scots pine, natural gases, and germinating beans, corn, cotton, and pea seeds. It occurs naturally in fruits such as apples and bananas. It is released from diesel and turbine engines, burning gasoline, and the combustion of polyethylene, wood, coal, tobacco and cigarettes, and refuse. Chemical properties: Propylene is a flammable gas that burns with yellow, sooty flames. It is a dangerous fire risk because it is highly flammable and explosive when mixed with air or oxygen. It includes materials that are normally stable, but may become unstable at elevated temperatures and pressures. Combustion products of propylene include carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Its vapor is heavier than air and may travel considerable distance to a source of ignition and flash back. It is considered a moderate explosion hazard when exposed to heat or flame. Propylene reacts vigorously with oxidizing materials and with nitrogen dioxide, dinitrogen tetraoxide, and dinitrogen oxide. Liquid propylene will explode on contact with water. Its gas may act as a simple asphyxiant and mild anesthetic. It is soluble in water, ethanol, ether, and acetic acid. It floats and boils on water. Synonyms for propylene are methylethene, methylethylene, propene, 1-propene, and 1-propylene. Identification:
Health effects: Direct contact with liquid propylene may cause skin burns. Acute exposure to propylene can cause cardiac arrests, cerebral edema, and seizures. Exposure to propylene can cause hypotension, apnea, decreases in vision, frothy mucous, an increased pulse rate, hyperventilation, cyanosis, bronchoconstriction, respiratory depression, pulmonary edema, lung congestion, headache, dizziness, numbness of the extremities, sleepiness, mental confusion, and memory loss. Propylene is usually handled commercially in liquid form and will cause freezing burns when in contact with skin or eyes. Gross inhalation may cause reduced blood pressure and disordered heart rhythm. Economics: U.S. manufacturers of propylene are Amoco Corporation, Alvin, TX; Texas City, TX; Amoco Oil Co, Whiting, IN; Ashland Oil, Inc, Catlettsburg, KY; BP America, Inc, Lima, OH Chevron Corp, El Segundo, CA, Philadelphia, PA, Richmond, CA, Cedar Bayou, TX, Port Arthur, TX; CITGO Petroleum Corp, Lake Charles, LA Corpus Christi, TX; The Coastal Corp, Westville, NJ; Corpus Christi, TX; Diamond Shamrock R&M Inc, Dumas, TX, Mont Belvieu, TX; Dow Chemical USA, Freeport, TX, Plaquemine, LA; Du Pont Company, Inc, Orange, TX; Eastman Kodak Co, Longview, TX; Exxon Corp, Baton Rouge, LA, Baytown, TX, Bayway, NJ; The BFGoodrich Co., Calvert City, KY; Koch Industries, Inc, Corpus Christi, TX; Mobil Corp, Mobil Oil Corp, Beaumont, TX, Houston, TX; Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Chocolate Bayou, TX, Corpus Christi, TX, Lake Charles, LA; Phillips Petroleum Co, Sweeny, TX; Quantum Chemical Corp, Clinton, IA, Morris, IL, Deer Park, TX; Rexene Products Co, Odessa, TX; Salomon Inc, Houston, TX, Texas City, TX; Shell Oil Co, Deer Park, TX, Norco, LA, Wood River, IL ; Sun Company, Inc, Marcus Hook, PA, Toledo, OH, Tulsa, OK; Texaco Inc, Delaware City, DE, El Dorado, KS, Port Arthur, TX, Port Neches, TX; Union Carbide Corporation, Seadrift, TX, Taft, LA, Texas City, TX; Union Texas Petroleum/BASF Corp/GE Petrochemicals, Inc, Geismar, LA; USX Corp, Detroit, MI, Garyville, LA, Texas City, TX; Vista Chemical Co, Lake Charles, LA; Clark Oil & Refining Corp, Hartford, IL; EPC Partners Ltd/HIMONT Inc, Houston, TX, Mont Belvieu, TX; Lyondell Petrochemical Co, Channelview, TX; Fina, Inc, Big Spring, TX, Port Arthur, TX; Javelina Gas Processing, Corpus Christi, TX; Kerr-McGee Corp, Corpus Christi, TX; Westlake Petrochemicals Corp, Sulfur, LA; Crown Central Petroleum Corp, Baltimore, MD; Oxy Petrochemicals, Inc, Houston, TX; General Electric Co, Parkersburg, WV; Marathon Petroleum Co, Main St, Findlay, OH; Houston, TX; Hill Petroleum Co, Houston, TX; and Valero Refining & Marketing Co, San Antonio, TX. Regulation: Under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, releases of more than one pound of propylene into the air, water, and land must be reported annually and entered into the Toxic Release Inventory. Facilities having a threshold quantity of 10,000 lbs of propylene are subject to the Risk Management Program Rule (RMP), Section 112r of the 1990 Clean Air Act. National Overview of 1998 Toxic Release Inventory See EPA's Toxic Release Inventory. Notations: The NIOSH recommended exposure limits (RELs) are time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations for up to a 10-hour workday during a 40-hour workweek. A short-term exposure limit (STEL) is designated by "ST" preceding the value; unless noted otherwise, the STEL is a 15-minute TWA exposure that should not be exceeded at any time during a workday. A ceiling REL is designated by "C" preceding the value. Any substance that NIOSH considers to be a potential occupational carcinogen is designated by the notation "Ca." The OSHA permissible exposure limits (PEL) are found in Tables Z-1, Z-2, and Z-3 of the OSHA General Industry Air Contaminants Standard (29 CFR 1910.1000). Unless noted otherwise, PEL are TWA concentrations that must not be exceeded during any 8-hour workshift of a 40-hour workweek. A STEL is designated by "ST" preceding the value and is measured over a 15-minute period unless noted otherwise. OSHA ceiling concentrations (designated by "C" preceding the value) must not be exceeded during any part of the workday; if instantaneous monitoring is not feasible, the ceiling must be assessed as a 15-minute TWA exposure. In addition, there are a number of substances from Table Z-2 (e.g., beryllium, ethylene dibromide, etc.) that have PEL ceiling values that must not be exceeded except for specified excursions. For example, a "5-minute maximum peak in any 2 hours" means that a 5-minute exposure above the ceiling value, but never above the maximum peak, is allowed in any 2 hours during an 8-hour workday. Information Sources:
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Originally published in Environment Writer by the National Safety Council. Reprinted with permission. Environment Writer Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography Office of Marine Programs Narragansett, RI 02882 Tel: 401-874-6211; Fax: 401-874-6485 Disclaimer * Copyright 2002-2006 * All rights reserved. * University of Rhode Island |