acetone has carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. the oxygen has a double bond
with one carbon, that carbon is bonded to 2 other carbons in single
bonds. that defines it (in a very rough descrition) as a ketone. it is
an organic solvent, it is not "based" on water.  but the electric
charge in the molecule is arranged such that there is a negative region
on the oxygen, and a positive area on the hydrogens that are bonded to
the carbon. this makes it a polar molecule, able to hydrogen bond with
water. thus acetone is quite miscible in water.

Organic refers to compounds containing  carbon, both gasoline, a
mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons (just a chain of carbon atoms with
hydrogen atoms "stuck on the sides", and yes, the length of the carbon
chain varies in gas), and acetone are organic compounds.

Aliphatic hydrocarbons are non polar.
they do differ from ketones in their chemical properties.

but will acetone in the amounts mentioned in this thread destroy seals,
hoses, and whatever?

i don't know, but one has to wonder if the acetone will form an
azeotrope with any water in the tank or with the gasoline.

Alistair

'82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94
http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/
On 6-Oct-05, at 9:27 AM, Don Williams wrote:

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