what do fuels contain?

[lumpy]

*for those not in the know - Benzene gives you cancer, BADLY. It literally modifies your DNA.

Not trying to be a smart-arse, but how does Benzene modify your DNA? Does it have the "May cause genetic damage" risk phrase on the MSDS.

It's strange how people are very conscious about "toxic chemicals" in all sorts of things, but never stop to think what's in petrol! I am suprised they don't have a better labelling of Benzene hazards etc at the pumps.

If you were trying to bring a drum of petrol onto any work site it wouldn't get past any Risk Assessment due to the labelling requirements for industrial chemicals.

That said, great thread - I am very interested in the use of oxygenating compunds like MTBE in petrol, and the concept of doing some "homebrew" racing fuels. I just wish I worked for a polymer company - I'd have just about every raw material used in VP Racing Fuel at my fingertips!

[Big rob]

mmmmmmmmmmm toluene. Late last year a friend and i were looking into getting some of that stuff and were suprised how available it is. We called all the major petrol manufactures who usually passed us off to there solvent sector or another companie who retailed the stuff. No one was going to blink an eye at not selling us a whole drum of it. I think the cheapest we found it at was $1.50 ish from BP plus drum rental. At the time we didnt want to buy so much and found another companie who was willing to sell it in a 20 litre container but when we got there the secretary screwed us out of a price we negotiated with someone ther and didnt want to pay $2.50, 80cents more than what we were told.

SO we never got it. Always wondered what 105 octane would have been like lol, nearlly thought of rigging up like and extra injector for just the toluene but didnt really know how it would work out.

[lumpy]

Why should you be suprised about the availability of toluene?? I think it is excised now - used to be cheaper than petrol due to it not being taxed but then shonky servos were adding it to their tanks at 20%.

A major use is paint thinner - look for High Aromatic Thinners or similar, it's bound to contain toluene. Wattyl T2 thinner is straight toluene.

[river]

Hi,

Humbrol thinners smell the best, and I don't think unleaded petrol smells anywhere near as good as leaded petrol used to.

I don't know why you're all so worried about the toxicity of petrol. Except for Witzl, no one usually pours the stuff over themselves. Perhaps he'll now transform into "Petrol Man" (sort of like an extra member of the Fantastic Four)

You should be more concerned with the shit that comes out of the tail pipe. That's the shit that your breathing almost everyday. Minute particles of cancerous toxins that embed themselves into your lungs, through your blood stream, into your cerebral cortex. It's more invasive than rap.

seeyuzz
river

[RONA]

Hi,

Humbrol thinners smell the best, and I don't think unleaded petrol smells anywhere near as good as leaded petrol used to.

I don't know why you're all so worried about the toxicity of petrol. Except for Witzl, no one usually pours the stuff over themselves. Perhaps he'll now transform into "Petrol Man" (sort of like an extra member of the Fantastic Four)

You should be more concerned with the shit that comes out of the tail pipe. That's the shit that your breathing almost everyday. Minute particles of cancerous toxins that embed themselves into your lungs, through your blood stream, into your cerebral cortex. It's more invasive than rap.

seeyuzz
river

edit

Anyways back on topic.

[oldcorollas]

benzene is fucked. it is bad for you. everyone should be worried about benzene. they are tryign to even phase it out of university labs.
it is not as bad something like carbon tetrachloride, but it is still pretty goddamn bad..

given the choice of drinking water or benzene..i know which i would prefer

[RONA]

fixed (10 characters

[The Witzl]

ok... so maybe i might have exaggerated - oh noes!
i got my point across though didnt i??

i would still prefer to minimise the amount of physical contact i have with petrol though, as i play with cars all the time so the amount of contact with carcenogenic substances i have is pretty high.



in short..... benzene = not cool.

[oldcorollas]

even better reason for ppl to fix fuel leaks eh? that petrol smell you can smell is carcinogens entering your lungs..

funnily enough.. for a while, i used to run premium simply because it smelt better and gave me less headaches than using LRP (due to aforementioned fuel leak from carb)... it smells sweeter than LRP or ULP... mmm sweet

acetone, benzene, ethanol... i decided to stop drinking gin when i opened an organic chemicl storage cabinet in my old electron microscopy lab.. and it smelt like orange flavoured gin

anyway, instead of all the erroneous posting, how about other ppl look up reputable MSDS data for other fuels.. or other car products..


for example "mag wheel brightener" often contains up to 5% of HF.. hydroflouric acid... that stuff that can kill you... as do some cheaper carby cleaners (or so i hear)

HF and benzene..... now thats a mighty fine breakfast!!

[oldcorollas]

You should be more concerned with the shit that comes out of the tail pipe. That's the shit that your breathing almost everyday. Minute particles of cancerous toxins that embed themselves into your lungs, through your blood stream, into your cerebral cortex. It's more invasive than rap.

seeyuzz
river

indeed.. the nasty byproducts of partial organic chemical oxidation can be more biologically activated (is that the term for easier to absorb) than the fuel itself...

we might not be retarding our childrens brains as much much, but we are sure as hell giving them early cancer

[jeffro ra28]

Benzene also deteriates rubber, that is why ELF bfk07(free from benzene) is so superior in 2 strokes with rubber crank seals etc. So if your fussy about how well your rubber fuel lines are going to last, look at the benzene content in the fuel you are using.

[Big rob]

I was just surprised they would sell us a barrel of toluene. I would have thought having such a large quantity of toluene or any flamable substance. I would have thought you would need permits or something. Then iagain you car can hold plenty of fuel. I guess it would be a house insurance thing.

[markiitourerv]

Proplyene oxide adds zip. Will also burn ya car to the ground once it eats through aluminium fittings and so forth. Probably kills ya real good too.

[toymad]

Brake Fluids:

Applied GTi Dot 4
Contains: Polyglycol ether ester 60-100%
Corrosion Inhibitors 0-1%
Other ingredients not know to be hazardous 0-1%

Shell Brake fluid has the same constituents.

Both classified as NON-hazardous according to NOHSC...

[toymad]

Also...

Loctite Gasket Eliminator:

Contains:
Polyethylene Glycol 45-50%
Dimethacrylate bis-phenol A fumarate resin 20-25%
Polymeric Plasticiser 10-15%
Maleimide 5-10%
Silicon Dioxide Filler 1-5%
Saccharin 1-3%
Organic Peroxide 1-3%
Substituted hydrazide 0-1%

Classified as hazardous.(Harmful by inhalation, and will damage eyes...)