• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.9 no.2 s.27
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• pp.1-7
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• 2005

The thermochemical parameters for safe handling, storage, transport, operation and process design of flammable substances are explosive limit, flash point, autoignition temperature, minimum oxygen concentration, heat of combustion etc.. Explosive limit and autoignition temperature are the major physical properties used to determine the fire and explosion hazards of the flammable substances. Explosive limit and autoignition temperature of methane fur LNG process safety were investigated. By using the literatures data, the lower and upper explosive limits of methane recommended 4.8 vol$\%$ and 16 vol$\%$, respectively. Also autoignition temperatures of methane with ignition sources recommended $540^{\circ}C$ at the electrically heated cruicible furnace (the whole surface heating) and recommended about $1000^{\circ}C$ in the local hot surface. The new equations for predicting the temperature dependence and the pressure dependence of the lower explosive limits for methane are proposed. The values calculated by the proposed equations were a good agreement with the literature data.