[chris (OP)]

Someone told me the other day about buses using urea as a fuel. Has anyone else come across this?

[turnipsock]

If it is, could we not contribute to the fuel tank rather than pay a fare?

The kitchen science thing with the cling film and pots must leave behind a concentrated urine, a bit like an optimax/ulitimate version.

[another_someone]

My worry is that combustion of urea could leave create some nasty toxins (possibly ammonia or cyanide if not fully burnt, but at very least, lots of NO_x).

[rosalind dna]

What about Urea in food as they colour Pretzels with Urea or so I've been told. Now that is one form of food that I will never
touch again.
I dont smoke but that is how they colour cigarettes.

[Bored chemist]

Urea is colourless. It can certainly serve as a fuel from the point of view of the bacteria that break it down.

Urea can also be used to remove NOx from gas streams.

[Make it Lady]

This would be great because at least you could be sure of a toilet at every fuel station.

[lyner]

We have a Bee Pee garage down the road.

[lightarrow]

Someone told me the other day about buses using urea as a fuel. Has anyone else come across this?

Urea can burn as (almost) all the other organic substances. Think that it could burn...explosively, mixed in the right way with the appropriate oxidant compounds (of course I won't tell you which and how).

[Make it Lady]

Meanie, Surely we need to know the mixture in order to know that Urea can be a fuel.

[Madidus_Scientia]

You wouldn't be able to go to a fuel station without someone taking the piss out of you.

lol, sorry couldn't resist

[rosalind dna]

You wouldn't be able to go to a fuel station without someone taking the piss out of you.

lol, sorry couldn't resist

If they don't already take the mickey out of you.
LOL LOL LOL LOL   []

[Bored chemist]

"Meanie, Surely we need to know the mixture in order to know that Urea can be a fuel."
Urea with air?

[Make it Lady]

Funyy, my wee has never blown up! I've set fire to my farts but never combusted my wee. I would now like to know how you would go about doing this under laboratory conditions.

[neilep]

As a firm believer in empirical study I unzipped my flies and peed in my neighbors car fuel tank.

Conclusion ?..It works !.....It acts as a great fuel......It fuelled his anger for a good long time as I gleefully watched from the comfort of my home, his attempt to start his car this morning in the pouring rain.

I hope he appreciated his assistance to science as he was fired for being late.

Glad he could help.

[rosalind dna]

As a firm believer in empirical study I unzipped my flies and peed in my neighbors car fuel tank.

Conclusion ?..It works !.....It acts as a great fuel......It fuelled his anger for a good long time as I gleefully watched from the comfort of my home, his attempt to start his car this morning in the pouring rain.

I hope he appreciated his assistance to science as he was fired for being late.

Glad he could help.

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL

[turnipsock]

Isn't urine an ingredient for gun powder?

[rosalind dna]

Isn't urine an ingredient for gun powder?

I think that Nitrate is one of the ingredients for gun powder but urine might be. I wouldn't know. Who does??

[chris (OP)]

You're right. Saltpetre is potassium nitrate (KNO3), the chief oxidising agent in gunpowder. In the olden days this was made by pouring urine into a dung heap. Bacterial oxidation of the nitrogenous compounds in the urine (ammonia and urea) yielded nitrates of various species (mostly sodium).

These were leached from the manure heap and then mixed with potash (burned beech usually), which is rich in potassium oxide (K2O). This reacts with water to form "lye" or potassium hydroxide (KOH), which is highly alkaline and reacts with the nitrate salts in the manure leachings to form potassium nitrate KNO3 - saltpetre.

The solution is then dried to evaporate off the water, and the saltpetre can be collected and added to carbon and sulphur to make black powder.

Chris