[TCML] solvents

[mark olson <kc5gym@xxxxxxx>]

Dave,

I did an experiment involving gasoline, tar, and a 55 gallon drum with good 
hot fire in it.
Here is what I found:

the gasoline that had tar in it acted much like diesel fuel.

Of course, the obvious question is how much tar is dissolved in the gasoline.

I melted the tar out of a large NST and cleaned everything over a period of 
days using about 3.5 gallons of gas.
Gunk was precipitating out of the gas.  Gas was evaporating, even though 
ambient was about 40 F average.
After all cleaning, rinsing with fresh gas, was done, I had  about 2 
gallons of black s__t.

So happens there was a fire barrel established, so I began to dispose of 
the blacksh_t about a pint @ time.
found that it did not flash, no hint of detonation.
gas would made me a crispy critter.  Why was I brave (foolish)? because i 
witnessed an attempt to start the
barrel using the black sh_t.  It is not volatile like gas.  I had a big 
clue, please don't call me stupid.
I still walk and talk.  No coincidence.

I set the rest of the tar solvent on a grill resting over the barrel.  It 
boiled, but did not light.  I  lit it off with an
aerosol spray, nothing of note, the light ends were gone, basically a heavy 
diesel fire, a bit smokey,
nothing like gas.

Not disputing, just reporting

Absolutely sincere,

Marko

> As a professional firefighter for nearly 20 years now my obvious
> main concern with gasoline is not its economic feasability as a
> solvent but its high volatility and flammability when handled care- 
> lessly. Although nearly everyone is well aware of the flammability of 
> gasoline, some people tend to forget that the heavier-than-air fumes can 
> spread out a considerable distance from the liquid fuel
> source and can find any source of ignition that could have easily
> been overlooked (i.e. water heater pilot light), and ignite explo-
> sively. Remember, gasoline has a flashpoint of -45*F, so it will
> produce very ignitable vapors at virtually any ambient operational 
> temperature. And once gasoline is ignited, it burns with a thermal yield 
> of approximately 34 MegaJoules/ liter (which is actually LESS thermal 
> yield than that of less refined petroleum products like kerosene, heating 
> oil, or diesel) but since gasoline ignites so readily, thanks to its very 
> low flashpoint temperature, and since it burns so rapidly once ignited, 
> this makes it a solvent choice of
> considerable danger, from a fire safety point of view. Sorry for the 
> run-on sentence but the bottom line is that if you do choose to use 
> gasoline for this purpose (I've been guilty of doing it myself),
> then please be very fire safety conscious!
>
> David Rieben




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