Filling up with pure octane

[gomes512]

I ended up with 40L's of octane in unopened containers.

Safe to mix 1:1 in a OBDI fuel injected trail rig? I guess an organic chemist would be best suited to answer this question.

At the time I figured I could burn it rather than have the guy I got it from pour it down the sink. People are so careless with their haz. waste...

 

[JHZR2]

octane, i.e. C8 and AKI are different things.

 

[Boomer]

What octane isomer? There is n-octane, a linear 8 carbon molecule that has a disastrously low octane rating for internal combustion engines. I think it is 2,2,3-trimethylpentane that is the octane isomer that has a rating of 100 octane by definition as a standard. The more linear a hydrocarbon, the more unsatisfactory it is as a fuel in a gasoliene engine due to pinging and knocking.

I am an organic chemist, by the way. If you don't know what isomer you have, rather than ruining your engine, use it as a cleaning solvent in the garage, charcoal lighter, parts cleaner, etc. Or if you have oil heat, mix about 4 liters into a 250 gallon tank of fuel oil.

 

[Shannow]

n-heptane has an octane rating of zero, so I'd expect n-octane to fare worse.

If it's 2,2,4 trimethyl pentane, then mix away no worries.

 

[Bluestream]

Originally Posted By: gomes512

At the time I figured I could burn it rather than have the guy I got it from pour it down the sink. People are so careless with their haz. waste...


That's an understatement!

 

[wayniac]

I believe that the octane rating is a knock rating based on a formula, not an actual ratio. The rating is derived from actual bench testing, so just be careful with the amount you mix, if it is the correct form.

 

[Shannow]

The traditional octane rating takes a test fuel, tests it's resistance to knock, and then brackets it with a mix of normal heptane (n-heptane, C7H16, single straight chain) and iso-octane (2,2,4 trimethyl pentane, think a straight chain 5 carbons long, with single branch offshoots at 2 left, 2 right, and 4).

The octane rating is the average of the two bracketting mixes, so 80 is a fuel that behaves as if it's 80% iso-octane, and 20 n-heptane.

There's research and Motor methods, that use different speeds, loads, and air inlet temperatures, and give different results, because the two references behave differently under the two tests. US uses an average of RON and MON, Oz uses RON only.

Back in the day, Sir Harry Ricardo uses a Toluene reference number, doing greatly the same thing, except tolly would be 100, rather than 130ish octane.

If the OP's fuel is straight n-octane, straight chain, then it will be worse than zero in his fuel blend.

 

[gomes512]

Thanks for the detailed info Shannow and Boomer, it is indeed the linear form.

The reason I took the stuff was I once worked as a haz waste tech for a few years. I just couldn't let this donkey flush this stuff down the drain.

I will just use it around the garage.

 

[mechtech2]

Saying that you have 40L of octane is like saying you have 1/2 an ounce of smell in your after shave bottle.

 

[gomes512]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Saying that you have 40L of octane is like saying you have 1/2 an ounce of smell in your after shave bottle.


I agree.