DME Standardization, Regulation and Safety Recommendations

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1 IDA Patron Members DME Standardization, Regulation and Safety Recommendations François Bollon International DME Association 7 th Asian DME Conference Niigata 1

2 Presentation Topics of this presentation o Status of the DME standardization by ISO o IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends o IDA Guidelines for Good Safety Practices 2

3 DME Standardisation by ISO DME standardization by ISO 3

4 DME Standardisation by ISO Target Publishing a DME standard for DME as fuel and the associated test-methods in order to make the importation and exportation of DME easier to help the countries, which are looking for a DME standard 4

5 DME Standardisation by ISO Organization o In May 2007, the Working Group 13 about DME standardization for DME as fuels has been agreed by ISO. This group, the ISO TC28/SC4/WG13, is presently managed by Mr. Mitsuharu OGUMA - from the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST). o Since then, 13 meetings of WG13 have been held from 24 September 2007 until 28 September 2011 o A Working Group 14, the ISO TC28/SC4/WG14 has been agreed by ISO in November 2010 for preparing the test-methods associate to WG13. This group is presently managed by Mr. Jun YOSHIHARA of Mitsubishi Gas Chemicals (MGC) 5

6 DME Standardisation by ISO Status and forecasting of the making of the standard o The DME specifications have been agreed by the WG13 members and will be kept so, unless the round-robin tests require some modifications o These specs are worth at the end-users level o In order to confirm the test-methods prepared by WG14, the Japanese members of WG14 have made some pre-round-robin tests, which confirm the methods chosen with some small improvements o The round-robin tests will start in October 2011 to end in March 2012 with 8 laboratories from Belgium, Canada, Sweden, Korea and Japan participating to these tests. 6

7 DME Standardisation by ISO Status and forecasting of the making of the standard o The draft of the standard made by WG13 will change from a CD (Committee Draft) to a DIS (Draft of International Standard) in the second quarter of 2012 and the standard will be normally published in 2013 o The draft of the test-methods standards will change from CD to DIS and WG14 expects the publishing of these standards in the first half of the year

8 DME Standardisation by ISO DME Specifications (*) Characteristic Unit Limit DME specifications for end-users Purity mass % min Methanol mass % max Water mass % max Hydrocarbons mass % max CO2 mass % max CO mass % max Methyl formate mass % max Ethyl methyl ether mass % max Residue after eveporation mass % max Sulfur mg/kg max. 3.0 (*) before addition of additives 8

9 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends 9

10 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends o The present market for DME in China is mainly a DME-LPG blends market. o Since March 2008, the Chinese National Administration of Quality and Technical Supervision (NAQTS) makes illegal the blending and the filling of DME-LPG mixtures in China, if the blending and filling of this mixture does not follow safety regulations is not clearly marked as DME-LPG is not put into appropriate cylinders o But the NAQTS did not give any specific recommendations for the blending and for the kind of appropriate cylinders. 10

11 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends o Most Chinese LPG filling centres are still mixing DME with LPG without following the recommendations of the NAQTS. o The foreign LPG companies in China and some Chinese LPG companies want to follow the NAQTS regulation and refrain from mixing DME with LPG until clear regulation or/and standard for this kind of mixture will be issued in China. o These companies cannot abide the competition of their unfair Chinese competitors which can reduce their prices by adding DME in LPG. 11

12 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG blends o These companies want to solve this unfair competition and to work in a legal environment without the risk to be fined or closed o They are also aware of the safety of their operation and of their customers o Some foreign companies distributing LPG in China suggests to ban the mixing of DME with LPG o In some Chinese provinces, some DME producers, aware of the development of DME, have prepared some local regulations for DME-LPG blends with the local authorities (for example, in the Guangdong Province: 液化石油气二甲醚复合燃料 ) 12

13 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG blends o But their target is the issuing of a national regulation or standard about DME-LPG blends by the national authorities o The International DME Association (IDA), with the support of the World LPG Association (WLPGA), decided in March 2011 to prepare the draft of an international regulation for DME-LPG blends o This draft has been written by F. Bollon for IDA 13

14 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends The regulation specifies for the DME-LPG blends: The quality: technical requirements associated test-methods inspection rules Control procedures The equipment requirements: manufacturing and filling methods, end-users accessories packaging, storage, labelling, transportation The safety and safe handling The pricing 14

15 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends DME-LPG blends requirements DME and LPG must be consistent with the corresponding local or international standards Product requirements Characteristics Units Limit Requirements Mass fraction of DME in DME-LPG blends %(w/w) Less than 20 Vapour pressure at 40 C Kpa Less than 1380 Components of C5+ %(w/w) Less than 1 Ethyl Mercaptan (odorant) ppm More than 10 Evaporation Residues %(v/v) Less than 0.05 Total Sulphur ppm Less than 40 Corrosion (copper strip) Less than 1 Free water ppm Less than 60 15

16 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends Test methods for DME-LPG requirements Mass fraction of DME: Gas chromatography method Vapour pressure: visual inspection by pressure gauge or ISO 8973 and 3993 Content of C5+: Gas chromatography with EN or ISO 7941 Ethyl mercaptan: ASTM D5305 Evaporation residues: ASTM D 2158 / EN & Total sulphur: EN Corrosion: EN 6251 Water: visual inspection by sedimentation and measurement of the volume of water extracted from the bottom of the tank 16

17 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends Equipments requirements The filling is done by weight, LPG must be filled first The pressure of the regulator associated to DME cylinder must be adjusted to 38 mbar Propane cylinders with DME-LPG appropriated seals can be used for DME-LPG blends All the material and especially the seals must be compatible with DME- LPG Labelling must be accurate and according to the gas in the cylinder The packaging should clearly state the kind of gas, which can be filled inside Storage over-filling must be avoided Transportation should follow the Orange Book standard 17

18 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends Equipments requirements The filling is done by weight, LPG must be filled first The pressure of the regulator associated to DME cylinder must be adjusted to 38 mbar Propane cylinders with DME-LPG appropriated seals can be used for DME-LPG blends All the material and especially the seals must be compatible with DME-LPG Labelling must be accurate and according to the gas in the cylinder The packaging should clearly state the kind of gas, which can be filled inside Storage over-filling must be avoided Transportation should follow the Orange Book standard 18

19 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends Quality control and inspection Target of inspection: guarantee a correct product in quality and quantity Type of inspection: quality, quantity, compliance of the container, labels and warnings, sleeves or caps, fulfilment of the standard Rules of inspection: control every arrival of raw material, control every batch of DME-LPG blends, control of the correct filling of cylinders Traceability of the product is essential: all the tests, methods and conclusions should be recorded Responsibility of inspection: quality manager or supervisor under the responsibility of the general manager Control procedures: the responsibility and the leading role of the authorities at all level for preventing any breach of the regulation is fundamental 19

20 IDA Regulation on DME-LPG Blends Safety and safe handling The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) of DME and LPG are very similar with regard to Hazards identification First aid measures Accidental release measures Handling and storage Personal protection Pricing DME-LPG prices must be in line with the quality of the gas The industry and the authorities must make their prices recommendations to allow a fair competition 20

21 IDA Guidelines for Good Safety Practices IDA Guidelines for Good Safety Practices 21

22 IDA Guidelines for Good Safety Practices Dimethyl Ether is a clean, modern fuel that brings comfort to millions of consumers worldwide. Safety in operations and handling for DME is imperative for consumers and for the industry. The effects of safety incidents can impact people, property and the environment outside the enterprise sometimes at considerable distances. In addition to the human cost and material damage, the reputation of the product can be significantly impaired if safety is not managed appropriately. 22

23 IDA Guidelines for Good Safety Practices o The IDA guidelines for Good Safety Practices aim to inform the stakeholders in the Dimethyl Ether industry of the hazards at different stages of the distribution chain as well as recommended good safety practices o Effective safety promotion starts by getting things right within the production facilities, storage depot, bottling plant or transport system. o The importance of having an effective emergency management system when something does go wrong, has been recognized for all kind of hazardous product for a long time. 23

24 IDA Guidelines for Good Safety Practices The IDA guidelines for Good Safety Practices defines o The key responsibilities o The regulatory framework o The DME safety o The DME distribution chain o The trans-shipment terminal o The inland transportation o The bulk storage and handling o The cylinder filling and handling o The distribution in bulk o The consumer installation and usage o The safety managing o The emergency planning and response 24

25 IDA Guidelines for Good Safety Practices The IDA guidelines for Good Safety Practices gives also o The hazard warning and signs (UN classification) o A glossary of terms o A list of references and notably a list of existing standards and material safety data sheet (MSDS) 25

26 IDA Guidelines for Good Safety Practices The IDA guidelines for Good Safety Practices is an important step for pushing all the DME stakeholders to be aware of DME safety. It does not replace the MSDS, but it gives a precise and very detailed framework for good safety pratices for the DME industry and customers It should be checked and improved regularly by all the protagonists of DME 26

27 Thank you Thank you for your attention and for your present and future commitment for the safe development of DME 27

DME Global Regulations & Standards. F. Bollon Conference DME4 Stockholm - 8 September 2010

DME Global Regulations & Standards 1 The importance of regulations & standards for DME industry Importance of regulations: the example of LPG/DME blends in China Role of regulations: insuring the safe