Date:         Thu, 6 Oct 2005 09:27:45 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Williams <williams@FIRE.BIOL.WWU.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Williams <williams@FIRE.BIOL.WWU.EDU>
Subject:      acetone
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

An organic solvent is a liquid which is based upon carbon-containing
compounds, in contrast to an aqueous solvent, which is a liquid based upon
water.  Pure acetone is an organic solvent which contains only one type of
molecule, while gasoline is a distillate fraction which contains many
different types of molecules that have many of the same
properties.   Different organic solvents (petroleum ether, ether acetone,
acetonitrile, and gasoline, for that matter) have different abilities
to  melt or liquify or leach (solubilize) materials with which they come in
contact.  Flexible tubing, like gas line) is formulated on the basis of
which solvents it touches and thus gas additives will have some effect on
the solubilizing (melting) of gas lines.  I  just think that one should be
very, very, very careful about what one adds to gasoline and the refining
industry has obviously not (MTBE), and now those F*****G people want
protection for law suits over the matter.  IMHO, the only thing good that
can be said  about individuals experimenting with acetone is that it is
kind of an internalized experiment-----you do it and you suffer the
consequences (except when your Vanagon catches fire while it is parked next
to my Vanagon!!)
Don

At 08:52 AM 10/6/2005 -0700, you wrote:
Don,

explain to me the difference between gasoline, an organic solvent, and
acetone, an organic solvent.


alistair



On 6-Oct-05, at 8:48 AM, Don Williams wrote:

Acetone is an organic solvent and has properties that are very different
than gasoline.   I wouldn't want to even ride in a vehicle whose fuel lines
have been exposed to acetone----you just can't know what the effect of
small amounts of acetone in gasoline might have on those lines.  I'm
already pissed off about the additive changes that have been made to
gasoline, and the extent to which the driving populace is a guinea pig for
the trial of these materials.
  Engine fires are not fun events and it seems you should do everything
possible to prevent one.  That should include not experimenting with
solvents on fuel lines.
Don