Thanks Don.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Williams" <williams@FIRE.BIOL.WWU.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, October 06, 2005 9:27 AM
Subject: acetone

> 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
>