Naptha Corrosive?

[Tempest]

I was reading a fuel add thread on another board and one of the members said that Naptha boosted Octane, but also was a corrosive agent. Is this true?

I'm particularly interested in CAS #8030-30-6 because that is an ingredient in a fuel add that I was recently testing (not a common one). It is only part of the add (MSDS does not give exact percentage) and treat rate of the product was 1oz. per 10 gal of gas. It did boost performance, and the only reason I stopped using it was to try different things.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[labman]

Naphtha is somewhat of an abused term. None of the materials described as a naphtha should be corrosive. Some of them may contain enough aromatic hydrocarbons to increase octane.

 

[Quest]

LOL!

Pure naphtha (comprised of light/volatile aromatic hydrcarbons and the likes) are of approx. 50~55octane rating only, and has minimal solvency (*where is the cleaning power may I ask?*)

Q.

 

[Tempest]

Rick20: In firearms (of which I am more familiar), slower burning powders produce more power and are usually cleaner than fast burning powders. This is because of the longer burn time which provides a longer push, and more time for the components to burn more completely. I'm not sure if that translates over to IC engines or not but I would think that it would to some degree.

Quest: I've always thought of Naptha to be a strong solvent...learn something new everyday. Maybe like labman said, there are a lot things called Naptha that are not.

 

[Quest]

Tempest-

I am a perveyer of old vintage pressure lanterns (I belong to various lantern collectors group including Coleman in the states). Coleman lanterns and stoves run primarily on Naphtha (they called it "Coleman fuel" or in MSI terms, it is called "superclean fuel" or similar.)

We have tested naphtha against various different things in terms of volatility, solvency, etc. and found that even regular gasoline comes with stronger solvency than naphtha. We regularly use Acetone or Toluene in soaking varnish-coated lantern founts and tanks to rid of old, sour gas residue which soaking with fresh naphtha wouldnt have any effect on.

Just my 2c worth.

 

[Tempest]

Thanks Quest. Always good to hear first hand accounts of applications and results.

Ok...so I guess all this would lead to a second question: What does Naptha do in a fuel add?

The add in question says it does:

quote:

---

ADVANTAGES
Mixes with any fuel (whatever)
Enhances power (in my experience yes, by butt dyno)
Safe for catalytic converters ?
Reduces harmful emissions ?
Provides upper cylinder lubrication (yes, the product has a has a lube, but nothing to do with Naptha)
Cleans & frees sticky valves (not with Naptha)
Neutralizes acids ?
Controls fungi & bacteria (maybe)
Fights jelling & waxing (maybe)
Improves mileage & engine life ?
Removes water from fuel (maybe)
Increases atomization in carburization & fuel injection (maybe)
Provides quicker starts in cold temperatures (no experience)
RECOMMENDED USES
Gasoline engines
Diesel engines
2-cycle engines
4-cycle engines
Bulk fuel storage tanks

---

Note that it also contains Kerosene and Isopropanol along with this companies proprietary lubricant (which I have found to be excellent). % are not given, CAS #s are.

So just what does the Naptha do?

 

[labman]

It may do little more than dissolve the active ingredient or add bulk, a cheap solvent.

I am most familiar with VM&P naphtha. It was very low in aromatics and solvency. When I worked in the paint industry, we used blends of it and isopropyl alcohol to replace xylene where it was regulated.

 

[Quest]

Tempest-

Naphtha primarily used as a "carrier" agent for other chemicals in many chemical "brew", same like stoddard solvent but with easy combustion and it leaves no residue, with very mild solvency.

As labman sez: it does a little bit more dissolving and act as a cheap solvent, while all other things being equal.

Mind you though. The process of hydrocracking oil to group 1(or is it gp2?) is to use chemical "de-waxing" or "solvent-scrubbing of wax". Guess what's being used for that? Naphtha of course! It's cheap and part of the hydrocracking products that can be readily attainable at a refinery facility than some other off-the-shelf solvents.


Just remember this: containing naphtha doesn't necessarily means that naphtha is the sole ingredient or carrier in the chemical brew for it may containg other solvents as well...check the MSDS datasheet for more info).

 

[Tempest]

Thanks labman for the info. Good to know.

Would those Octane boosting Napthas be more expensive than those that don't?

 

[labman]

Likely so.

 

[Rick20]

Higher octane usually equates to a longer burn. Perhaps advantageous to a cleaning product. However increased octane is not necessarily advantageous in modern motor designs and controls, from a mileage standpoint. Unburned hydrocarbon blow-by may create corrosive bi-products in the same fashion as unburned gasoline, blowing by the rings.

 

[Big Jim]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tempest:
Rick20: In firearms (of which I am more familiar), slower burning powders produce more power and are usually cleaner than fast burning powders. This is because of the longer burn time which provides a longer push, and more time for the components to burn more completely. I'm not sure if that translates over to IC engines or not but I would think that it would to some degree.

---

Octane does provide the same benefit. Higher octane fuel burns slower in a more controlled fashion. There is no benefit to higher octane though if the engine doesn't require it.

With slower burning fuel, higher compression can be used, ignition timeing can be advanced, and other tuning and design measures can be applied to increase power by allowing a longer burning time, just like in a gun barrel. That's largly what hot rodding is about. Modifying and tuning for more power. Improved octane is an important part of it, but not by itself.