There are several uses of propane gas in the industrial sector. As one of the most versatile energy sources, propane is commonly used in manufacturing, warehousing, and agricultural practices. The gas is used as fuel to power engines such as forklifts, fleet vehicles, and farm engines. So, what are the other applications of propane gas?

Propane gas is a valuable resource for many industries. Did you know that these 5 industries use propane for everyday applications? Click To Tweet

Which industries benefit from the use of propane?

Many industries use propane gas because it’s safe, clean, and has a high energy density. Also, most households use propane for cooling, heating, and many other activities. But today, we’ll only discuss its industrial applications. Here are five common uses for propane gas in the industrial sector.

  1. Manufacturing 
  2. Warehouses
  3. Agricultural Drying
  4. Metal Melting
  5. Printing Press Applications

1) Manufacturing

Since propane gas is a clean and reliable energy source, many manufacturing facilities use it to power generators and vehicles. Also, petrochemical industries use the gas to manufacture plastics. Companies that manufacture refrigerators also use propane gas as a refrigerant. There are many more uses of propane in the manufacturing sector.

2) Warehouses

Most warehouses use propane-powered forklifts for material handling operations since it’s an efficient and clean-burning fuel source. It’s the most reliable gas for indoor forklift operations and also for space heaters. The National Propane Gas Association reports that more than 500,000 forklift trucks get powered by propane gas.

Pro Tip: If your warehouse uses propane to power forklifts, implement proper safety protocols to store gas cylinders to promote a safe workspace.

3) Agricultural Drying

Farmers use propane in crop drying, flame weeding, and irrigation pumps. However, the most common application is cop drying. Some crop drying equipment that uses propane gas includes hay dryers, corn dryers, tobacco dryers, soybean dryers, and peanut (shelled) dryers.

4) Metal Melting

Propane is the most common liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used in metal melting as it burns at high temperatures (1980 °C). The gas is used in stationery and tilting crucible furnaces to melt aluminum, bronze, brass, monel, and other metals. Also, the gas is used in furnaces that melt jewelry such as gold and silvers.

5) Printing Press Applications

During large scale printing, the printing ink should dry quickly once jetted on papers. To facilitate the drying process, printing companies use hot propane gas to dry ink on paper, glassine, cellophane, and aluminum foil. Also, propane gas is used to burn off printing rolls.

The Plethora of Ways Propane Can Be Used in Your Industry

Now that you know some of the industrial uses of propane gas, find where to use it in your industry. However, the gas has many other industrial applications, including car thawing, air heating, cloth drying, and galvanizing. At Propane Specialty Solutions, our propane is produced for DME facilities, retail facilities, industrial facilities, truck & rail facilities, and many more.

Connect with us to learn all the uses for propane gas in other sectors.