Products & services
Hydrocarbon Propellants
Aerosol propellants
Puregas propellants are high purity unstenched butane and propane hydrocarbons, derived from the distillation of crude oil. It is essentially free of unsaturates, sulphurs and mercaptans as can be determined by their clean odour. Our propellants are certified to the highest quality for use in pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, personal care and other aerosols.
Hydrocarbon propellants are available in a number of different pressure grades ranging from 2 bar to 7.8 bar gauge measured at 25ºC. The consistent high quality makes them suitable for use in odour sensitive aerosol products such as deodorants, anti-perspirants, perfume sprays, etc.
Unstenched butane is used in all foam blowing applications. The low-pressure properties are suitable for food packaging applications in flexible and foam packaging.
Our aerosol propellants are available in bulk road tankers or in 48kg cylinders; as well as 11 ton ISO tank containers for export. We currently supply the majority of the South African Aerosol industry with delivery across the country. We also export to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania and Mauritius.
Two grades of butane/propane mixtures are available:
Industrial Grade
Applications include: Insecticides, Air Fresheners, Surface Cleaners, Mace Spray, Oven Cleaners, Car Care Aerosols, Spray Paint and Lubrication Sprays.
Cosmetic Grade
Applications include: Personal Care Products, Shaving Creams
Dimethylether (DME)
DME is a widely used aerosol propellant and offers unique advantages such as solvency power and water miscibility. Due to the flexibility offered by these advantages DME is used in aerosols such as Paint, Hairsprays and other technical aerosol products. DME is supplied in bulk or in 62kg cylinders.
LPG Gases
Puregas is a certified Easigas distributor for LPG. We offer a range of filled cylinders.
- 9kg – standard
- 14kg – forklift cylinder
- 19kg – standard
- 19kg – forklift
- 48kg – single valve
- 48kg – double valve
Orders must be placed by 12:00pm for delivery the following day.
Ammonia
Puregas entered the bulk ammonia business in September 2014 with the acquisition of DNA ammonia to service the northern part of the country and KZN, and has since then introduced a fleet of ammonia cylinders into the business as well acquiring a further bulk ammonia business in Cape Town to service the southern part of the country.
As with all of the Puregas businesses, customer service and safety are of top priority for us, and we are proud of the positive feedback from our customers in the ammonia market, as well as our unbroken safety record in the business.
The market segments that we service include:
- Refrigeration customers – we supply many refrigeration companies with refrigeration grade ammonia either directly or through our extensive network of refrigeration installers. A number of our refrigeration customers are members of International companies, and the standards we need to comply with when supplying these customers are amongst the highest standards in the world
- Process customers – we have a number of customers that use ammonia as part of their processes in various parts of South Africa
- Agricultural sector – the application of ammonia to fodder improves the protein content of the fodder, and we supply many farmers across the country with both product and expertise in the “foddering” or “ammonia enrichment” processes which result in substantial cost savings for the farmers
- Heat Treatment – the use of ammonia in the heat treatment of certain metals to change the surface properties of the metal is a widespread application, and our number of customers in this segment of the market continues to grow
- Ammonia Recovery – we are able to recover and dispose of (or store) ammonia for our refrigeration customers, which is widely required during maintenance of refrigeration systems
Our drivers have all been through and passed the rigorous Sasol training programmes and medical tests to enable them to collect product from the Sasol sites. In addition, a number of our employees have passed the “Safe Handling of Ammonia” programmes.
We understand that the delivery of ammonia is often required urgently, and the costs of not receiving the product can be huge, and to meet our customers’ expectations we offer 24 hour standby via cell phone, and have drivers on call 24 hours/day and 365 days/year.
Carbon Dioxide
BULK Beverage Grade
Puregas entered the Liquid Carbon Dioxide (CO2) market early in 2016 through a Joint Venture to supply CO2 to customers outside South Africa. AfriCO2, was formed to provide a secure supply of beverage grade carbon dioxide to customers in Southern Africa. The Joint Venture is currently supplying CO2 to various contracted customers in ther target countries.
Puregas is currently managing two CO2 plants as well as the CO2 logistics on behalf of a customer and have access to surplus CO2 product from the plants. The logistic services have expanded to other companies, where we are moving product between plants. This has also allowed us to supply CO2 to customers in South Africa.
Puregas has gained extensive knowledge of the carbon dioxide business in the last 7 years both technically and commercially, and we collectively have more than 40 years of experience in this market. We identified the carbon dioxide market as having a strong growth potential, which fits very well into the existing Puregas model and competencies, and it will continue to be a focus area for Puregas in the future.
Special Products
Puregas is the sole and approved distributor of Matheson speciality gas products and equipment in Southern Africa. Our focus is on supplying the laboratory gases market with top end, NIST traceable calibration standards and research grade pure gases, as well as Instrument Grade, Ultra High Purity and High Purity gases. Combining the brand name, recognition and reputation for quality of Matheson with the proven service reliability and customer focus of Puregas makes the Puregas product and service offer an extremely attractive choice for our customers.
Our world class special gases filling plant, that was installed and commissioned in 2012 to Matheson standards, is used to produce certain pure gases and simple mixtures, whilst the full Matheson range of gases and equipment is available as imports.
Pure Gases & Gas Mixtures
Puregas offers the complete range of Matheson gas mixtures to various accuracies and tolerances required by the user. Pure gases and gas mixtures are also available in a wide range of cylinder sizes ranging from large to small portable cylinders.
Pure gases on offer vary in purity between N2 to N6 to suit every application. A wide range of pure gases is supplied ex stock with very short lead times, whilst the lead time on imported mixtures varies from 1-8 weeks, depending on the complexities and blend tolerances of the mixture.
Pure gases in our range include Helium, Argon, Nitrogen, Hydrogen and Carbon Dioxide ex stock and a wide range of other Pure Gases which can be imported from Matheson.
Matheson Portables
As technology moves from inside the lab to the outside world, Matheson Portables make calibration easy, accurate and reliable.
Matheson Portables come in a variety of cylinder sizes to meet application needs for industrial hygiene and safety, environmental monitoring, toxic organic measurements and laboratory field analysis, to name a few.
Ethylene Oxide (ETO)
Mixtures of ethylene oxide and carbon dioxide are supplied in a range of concentrations, from 10% ETO to 90% ETO. These mixtures are supplied in cylinders in varying sizes and used for the Sterilisation of Surgical Equipment and Fumigation.
Metallurgical Propane
Metallurgical Propane is supplied in bulk or 48kg cylinders and used for heating, heat treatment, curing or baking ovens, etc
Flow Measurement & Control
- High accuracy fluted tubes
- Stainless steel or brass
- Flow control valve, high accuracy valve or no valve
- Patented tube-cube design for easy interchange of flow tubes
- Multi-tube mixers
Inline Purification Systems
IN-LINE PURIFIER
CARTRIDGE PURIFIER SYSTEMS
- Purity output 99.999+%
- Replacement purifiers can be installed within seconds, minimizing instrument downtime
- End Connectors eliminate “tools” typically required to install purifier replacements
- Removal of hydrocarbons, oxygen and moisture can be performed within a single purifier filter
- Easy to change cartridge
- No tools required
- Basic system consists of purifier cartridge installed on a compatible base-plate
- Purifiers can be installed without interrupting the operating & analytical performance of the system
Gas Delivery Equipment
Gas Delivery and Handling Equipment including Switchover Systems and Gas Panels
AUTOMATIC SWITCHOVER SYSTEM
5-VALVE GAS DISTRIBUTION PANEL
- Ideal for high or low purity gas delivery
- Provides automated switchover control and gas delivery from 2 or 4 cylinders (standard) or up to 10 cylinders (optional)
- Optional features allow customised system design for specific gas delivery applications
- Compact design minimizes wall space consumption
- Various designs to allow purging, venting etc
- Can handle toxic, semi-corrosive and flammable gases
- Available with optional venturi for vacuum evacuation of the panel during purging
Matheson Regulators
SINGLE-STAGE CORROSION
RESISTANT MONEL REGULATOR
DUAL-STAGE HIGH-PURITY
STAINLESS STEEL REGULATOR
- From high purity to general purpose – more than 100 models to choose from
- Stainless steel or brass
- 2-Stage or 1-Stage
- Line/Miniature regulators
- Higher pressure, low pressure, corrosive and other speciality regulators
Inert Gas Fire Suppressant Cylinder Refills
Puregas has an inert gas cylinder refilling rig for most blends of inert gases for fire suppression, and can fill cylinders to 150, 200 and 300bar.
Puregas offer the following Inert refills
- Argonite
- Proinert
- Inergen
- IG55
- CO2
- Nitrogen
- Custom blends: Made to customer specifictions
Orders must be placed by 12:00pm for delivery the following day.
Sulphur Dioxide
Supply
Puregas supplies sulphur dioxide in 78kg cylinders. We keep stock of cylinders at our premises in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
USES
Sulphur dioxide is used in many industries. It’s used to manufacture sulfuric acid, paper, food preservatives, sulphite, and hydrogen sulphites.
Industries such as:
Food preservative:
Sulphur dioxide can be used as a preservative for dried fruits. As a preservative, it maintains the colourful appearance of the fruit and prevents rotting.
Winemaking:
Sulphur dioxide is a very important chemical in the winemaking process. The main function is to protect the wine from spoilage by bacteria and oxidation.
As a reducing agent:
When mixed with water, sulphur dioxide assists with the decolorization of substances. Specifically, the bleaching of papers and materials such as clothes. Municipalities can use this in wastewater treatment, it is used to treat chlorinated wastewater before release.
Properties
Sulphur dioxide (SO?) is a liquified colourless gas with a suffocating and pungent odour. The boiling point of this liquid is – 10°C and it dissolves in watervery easily.
Once the pressure is released, the vapor is very toxic by inhalation and may irritate the eyes and mucous membranes. It can also be very corrosive when it comes into contact with moisture.
While in use or storage, these cylinders may rupture violently if exposed to a fire or heat source for long periods.
Refer to the SDS for more detailed information.
Services
Technical, Engineering & Other Services
The Puregas technical team are able to assist its many divisions in the following areas below. This is due in part to the knowledge base of over 50 years in the various gas industries.
Hydrocarbon Aerosol Propellant & Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
- We are able to install cylinder manifolds and Bulk vessel installations depending on your requirements, these installations will include everything from Gas detection to a mimic panel if required. We specialise in turnkey solutions for aerosol plants.
- We are also able to do all maintenance required for a site, from the legal requirements as per the Pressure Equipment Regulations to the replacing of seal kits in a propellant pump.
- We are able to supply country wide support to our customers.
- We have a customer audit programme in place to assist our customers with the requirements of the OHS Act and the safety aspects involved. We will assist with the installation as well as to obtain the necessary legal permits.
- We are able to assist with technical advice.
- Servicing of our customers is one of the most important functions we have.
- All installations and maintenance is conducted by SAQCC registered LPG installers.
- We are prepared to invest in bulk vessels, vapourisers and additional equipment on your site, based on your requirements.
Special Gases, CO2 & Ammonia
- Puregas is able to install manifold installations for all types of Compressed gasses, from Hydrogen to Helium to installations involving Portable Cryogenic Containers (PCC’s). We are able to help source all the required materials and equipment associated with a project to ensure that we can offer a turnkey solution.
- Puregas is able to run pipelines from bulk installations to anywhere required on your site to ensure the best possible outcome for your needs and pocket.
Training
With all the various disciplines that we are involved in, we are at an advantage that we can supply training to you our prospective client on all of the products and services we supply.
This includes our own in house training course to do with Hydrocarbon Aerosol Propellants (HAP) training, which is a comprehensive look at the hazards involved in aerosols and safe aerosol manufacturing.
And lastly our engineering team having a wealth of experience and expertise will be able to assist you with any query you may have, and if not we will certainly try our utmost to point you in the right direction.