Natural gas does not normally have its own odor. To warn consumers of its presence, gas is combined with an odorant, and more and more natural gas suppliers are turning to sulfur-free Gasodor® S-Free for this purpose. For the time being, one characteristic of Gasodor® S-Free has limited its application, however: the odorant could not be used in oxygen-free environments.
Because some natural gas suppliers keep their odorant storage containers flushed with nitrogen, this problem has so far prevented them from using Gasodor® S-Free. Now, however, an improved stabilizer blend will be added to Gasodor® S-Free, where it will increase the stability of the odorant by a factor of 5 under oxygen-free storage conditions – in other words, suppliers will also be able to store Gasodor® S-Free under nitrogen. Increased stability also confers yet another advantage: it significantly decreases decomposition in the lines connecting supply containers with the injection nozzles used to feed Gasodor® S-Free into the gas.
Introduction of natural gas odorant Gasodor® S-Free has so far been highly successful, and this new development will make the product even easier to use while also making a significant contribution to safety. And safety is a vital concern: before it was launched on the market in 2001, sulfur-free Gasodor® S-Free was subjected to extensive scientific suitability studies by the DVGW Research Center at the Engler-Bunte Institute in Karlsruhe, Germany. In addition to assessing the character and intensity of its odor, these studies also examined numerous technical aspects of the product such as the risks posed by inhalation, its sorption characteristics on piping materials and questions of measurement technology. Multiple field tests were also conducted in cooperation with the gas industry to assess product suitability in actual applications. The results left no doubt: tests showed that using Gasodor® S-Free instead of the sulfur-containing odorants traditionally used in Germany yielded only benefits – a finding that was corroborated by an odor perception study conducted by DVGW. The new stabilizer does not compromise these safety features or any other quality-related product parameters known to the gas industry.
As confirmed by the government agency responsible for gas safety, Gasodor® S-Free even improved certain odorant safety parameters. Before a product can be marketed, it must receive DVGW certification of a test sample, and this has already been issued.
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