A short update to the conversation with MYN. Migwar: Well MYN, speaking of bain marie. This means water will reach out to 100 deg C while gasoline will evaporate at 98.43 deg C. That means that I will be having almost 1.5 degrees Celsius, for the evaporation of gasoline. Will that mean the process will be slow? And I have to maintain the temperature of water at 100 all time yes? MYN: It won't be unbearably slow. Even at below their boiling points, some of the constituents will still evaporate. Imagine pouring gasoline into an opened dish. It will still evaporate at ambient conditions. The lower boiling fractions will be first to evaporate. You'd want all those. At the end of the distillation, the higher boiling fractions will be left behind. Those might have boiling temperatures of in excess of 150 deg C. They are somewhat more prone to breakdown and eventually undergo pyrolysis if left in stove or lantern generators long enough. Having said those, bear in mind that whatever the resultant distillates, they won't be pure alkanes. Examples, MTBE and ETBE (some of the common oxygenates in modern gasolines) have boiling points below 100 deg C. These are some unwanted additives that you can't remove by simple distillation alone.
Another question would be, what is to be done with the remainder should the distillation effort be successful?
Yeah, a very important question indeed. See below the reply again from MYN with pleasure: There isn't much use for the remainder gasoline. It'd likely be darker, somewhat more viscous and a lot less volatile than the fresh gasoline. If you heat it further, it'd turn even darker. You can either store it up to be disposed or you can use it to start a bonfire. It'd burn with very sooty flames. Not ideal for charcoal lighting for cooking purposes.
@Jim Lukowski wrote: "Many (most?) Walmarts will let you buy Crown fuel online for under $8 per gallon, but for this deal, you must buy it online for store pickup. You will NOT get this price purchasing in store." I just checked this out, and Jim is right! The price for Crown per gallon, bought as Jim recommended, was $7.64, and a gallon of Coleman Fuel, again, bought as per Jim's recommendation, is $14. and change. Up here that same gallon of Coleman Fuel, in our local Ace Hardware is just shy of $20! Thanks, Jim, for your most excellent tip! Take care, and God Bless! Every Good Wish, Doc (who used to pay only $4.95 for gallon of Coleman Fuel, some years back, and has seen it as low as $2.50 a gallon, on sale!)
I've used VM&P naptha here in the US with no problems! Even at sub-zero F temps, it fired up in all my army-issue canister stoves.Occasionally, I'll use the dimple in the burner of my Coleman 502 as a preheat dish to make it work in the extreme cold! Murph
Adding from MYN: You're welcomed Migwar. A big Hello to all the members at CCS too. It'll be a challenge to obtain exactly what is required from gasoline. But since it is the only fuel that is World-widely available at reasonably low or even subsidized prices, extracting whatever is useable from it will always be an interesting venture. As a reference, the chemical with a CAS Register Number, CAS No. 68410-97-9 will be the ideal fuel to use in stoves and lanterns meant for white gas or light naphthas. It'd mostly contain a mixture of cyclohexane, heptane, pentane, octane and nonane or any of the lower boiling isomers of the individual constituents. I can see that some members suggested to try VM&P naphtha as alternative. Depending on the brands and manufacturers, there might be variations. Some are mostly light aliphatic naphthas or petroleum distillates, which, I'd say, quite suitable as a substitute for your application. Some painter's naphtha/solvents can be medium and heavier naphthas, which, you might have experienced some trouble during startup earlier. Not all are entirely aliphatic. Some are aromatic. For example, they can be similar to this: They are not particularly suitable. And: As examples, Kleanstrip's VM&P naphtha might not have exactly the same composition as the reference above but it is still mostly or entirely light aliphatic. Worth trying out if its available. Univar Solution's VM&P almost matches the reference. Certainly worth as alternative. Teroson's naphtha contains some aromatics and therefore not suitable.
More helpful advice from MYN which bears out my admittedly limited experience with ‘panel wipe’ in the UK. I use Aspen 4 alkylate gasoline, a Coleman fuel equivalent. I decided to try panel wipe and of course ensured that it was not the water-based stuff but mentioned ‘naptha’ on the tin. It was dreadful. Impossible to generate more than a puny flame in a self-pressurising stove and providing only poor combustion even when pump-pressurised in a Coleman stove. MYN said, It must have been one of those. John
The "was benzine" (= panel wipe) I buy in Belgium has given me sterling service! The same shop also sells was benzine specially for blow lamps. I have not yet bought any as it is more expensive! (I'm cheap)
This is why the CAS registry number is helpful, it's a scientific naming (well numbering) system equivalent for chemicals in much the same way the latin naming system was adopted for plants and animals. The reason is local or common names vary widely, sometimes even across the same language, never mind trying to translate it into another. The question I have, is why a low octane first distillate of gasoline with no additives is so expensive in the first place? It's on par with special high octane racing fuel, or more than 100LL avgas. Doesn't really make any sense.
Right, special packaging & handling + shipping costs. Tiny market. Probably considered HAZMAT too? I'm not sure on that part. Still seems awfully spendy for what it is. It's already being produced, it's the base stock for automotive gasoline in the first place. Technically speaking, it's unfortunate for us stove and lantern users. I've read about something, think it was called "drip gas"; this was often collected & used in automobiles back in the day, it's some sort of condensate or waste by-product of any refinery. It didn't run very well, but it did run, and in an era of abject poverty or later, wartime gasoline rationing, free fuel it had its adherents and enthusiasts. Not sure if that would run reliably in the GPAs.
Guess it's a situation of "needs must" for drip gas and such. Same with people running their cars on wood gassifiers. Same as Migwar and MYN experimenting, as well.
If I were to get a bad batch of VM&P naptha, I can always "sweeten" it with CRC Brakleen brake cleaner, using the non-chlorinated formula in the green aerosol can! Murph
Found in Lebanon a liquid brake cleaner called GAT made in Germany, any experience with this? Brake Cleaner 5 Liter – GAT
