Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: Sally Le Page on 24/06/2021 14:58:46
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Drago had this question about petrol/gasoline:
"How do I turn gasoline in to powder? Do I use flour and mix it tell it is hard and then lay it on a bakers tray and bake it, or allow it to dry out and hand crush to powder, or am I wrong?"
Any suggestions?
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The simple answer is that you can't.
Trying to "bake" gasoline will probably result in an explosion.
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Hi.
I have to support Bored Chemist here. Please don't experiment with Gasoline.
In theory, gasoline will freeze at low temperatures (around -60 degrees Celsius). Sadly, it's a mixture of compounds, so you may want to take it down to a lower temperature to be certain all of it freezes (turns solid). Also, it doesn't form crystals of "gasoline" at all well, instead the various different components tend to separate (so you can find regions of the heavier and lighter components on their own but not many regions that will have the same mixture of components you would have had in liquid gasoline). Anyway, once you have your solid gasoline I suppose you could try to grind it up to make your powder. It may explode if you put too much heat into it or grind it too vigorously, so I wouldn't try it. You'd also have to keep this powder at low temperatures to stop it all melting again and returning to liquid gasoline.
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With difficulty you could probably partially pyrolyse the petrol to carbon. Carbon is a powder. Dealing with the carbon monoxide that would inevitably get produced without dying is left as an exercise for the reader.
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I understand that petrol/gasoline has a "use-by" date.
- If you leave it far too long, it tends to polymerise (join into long chains like plastic), producing a jelly-like substance.
- Would this meet your criteria?
- What do you need it for?
As for solid hydrocarbons, the tar used on roads, or the "bunker fuel" used in container ships comes pretty close...
Beeswax also works pretty well, is portable, and doesn't explode when exposed to an open flame.
- You can even get it infused with various fragrances,
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Hmm. Good point. You might be even able to fully polymerise it into a hard plastic with a suitable catalyst, and then grind it up into a powder. Or in other words, turn petroleum products into ... plastic.
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....then you could powder your plastic, burn it in a fluidised bed, and generate electricity to power your electric car!
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No.