[NSRCA-discussion] Bad fuel

[Fred Huber]

The freezing trick works to get water out of some oils... but not out of alcohols.

Distillation or a molecular seive will get the water out. 

It would be a multi-stage distilation..
Evaportaion would leave the oil behind.
I'm not sure which evaporates first.. Methyl alcohol or Nitromethane
Distillation is a big mess to set up to end up with the water out and get back all the fuel.. not cost effective to salvage 4 gallons.

The molecular seive can be done 2 ways...
http://www.ecn.nl/docs/library/report/2006/rx06023.pdf
Or there's a "gel-crystal" which will absorb water but the alcohol molecule is too big.  I am unsure if the water retention crystals you can get a the local garden supply (even at some grocery stores) is the correct stuff to separae water from alcohol (and oil.. but if it doesn't take in the alcolhol it probably won't tke in the oil).  Its not very expensive ($14 gets enough crystals to absorb about 25 gallons of water) so its a viable thing to try. (If it doesn't work you can use the crystals in potted plants and your garden)

I have some of the garden version gel-crystals... I guess I could dump water into 8 oz of some very old fuel I have and see what happens when I put the crystals in...

I HAVE read reports of some version of gel-crystal stuff working.  The question is where to get the correct stuff. (If this isn't the right stuff)  If it works, the stuff is reusable... just strain out the gel blobs (sintered brass clunk/pickup wouldn't let the stuff through) then dry them in the sun.  

The garden stuff: 2 tablespoons of crystals makes over 1 quart of gel when its absorbed water.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lance Van Nostrand 
  To: NSRCA Mailing List 
  Sent: Monday, January 15, 2007 12:23 AM
  Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Bad fuel


  Does this really work?  The water that is in solution will separate and freeze?  
  --Lance

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Koenig, Tom 
    To: NSRCA Mailing List 
    Sent: Sunday, January 14, 2007 4:23 PM
    Subject: Re: [NSRCA-discussion] Bad fuel


    Peter,

    Stick it in the freezer. The water will freeze, just skim it off. 

    Tom
    -----Original Message-----
    From: nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org [mailto:nsrca-discussion-bounces at lists.nsrca.org]On Behalf Of Peter Pennisi
    Sent: Monday, 15 January 2007 9:11 AM
    To: 'NSRCA Mailing List'
    Subject: [NSRCA-discussion] Bad fuel


        I have 4 gallons of 30% nitro fuel which was mixed with bad Methanol (unknown at the time) the rest of the ingredients were fine.

         

        I am assuming that moisture may have got the drum of methanol but I am not sure.

         

        Is there anything I can do to recover this fuel for at least sport plane use or do I count my losses and throw it out?  

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