Acetone improves gas mileage. Anyone heard this?

[slydog]

Got this link from a friend. Wondered if anyone has heard of it, or can think of a negative side to tyring it.

Acetone as a fuel additive.

 

[Darren]

It's making the rounds of the internet. Keep in mind acetone dissolves plastic as well as strips paint. Given how cheap cars are built these days, I wouldn't be surprised if the fuel system had some plastic parts somewhere. Like a plastic tank, fuel filter or pump parts for example. Enough acetone would destroy the plastic in a short period of time.

Let your neighbor try it out first.

 

[notamustang]

Acetone melts plastic ??? That right there would keep it out of my vehicle nice plastic tank and fuel filter as Darren stated.
Besides probably being a felony in CA. because the label is the law I would probably get pulled over and they would think I was using it as an inhalent /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[PhilNH5]

The article looks pretty informative. He covers all the bases. I was a little concerned with the side bar calling it the least toxic solvent. How and what is that measured against? We use it in the lab - it is highly flammable. It evaporates readily and the fumes are a problem. It is commonly sold as nail polish remover. Even the most unsafe females in my group put on gloves when handling acetone so as not to mess up their nails. One of the more interesting things it does is dissolve nylon stockings. Later in the article he does touch on these points.
Fuel makers already add "detergents" to help reduce surface tension. If acetone was so great you would think they would use it. Also the MtBE added as an anti-knock agent vaporizes more readily than acetone. You would think that MtBE would do the same as the acetone.
I have no idea if the results are valid. It would seem that at such low percentages there would not be enough to do any harm nor any good. But I would not bet my expensive equipment on it.

Phil

 

[PhilNH5]

Wasn't Ralph the naked gardener a petrochemist? Maybe he can answer.

Phil

 

[slowzuki]

I've heard of a fellow who owned a lab of some type diposing of used acetone in his Suzuki Samurai. 2l per 40 l tankfull. He didn't have a catylitic convertor and he said it could plug one up.

He also burned his old ethanol and methanol in the suzuki, mixed in a bit at a time.

 

[beenthere]

"" Fuel makers already add "detergents" ......... If acetone was so great you would think they would use it. ""

I agree, but also wonder in the same line of thinking, if fuel "stabilizer's", that we add to extend the shelf life of fuel, were so great, why don't the 'makers' add them, as well?

 

[GerardC]

<font color="blue"> I agree, but also wonder in the same line of thinking, if fuel "stabilizer's", that we add to extend the shelf life of fuel, were so great, why don't the 'makers' add them, as well?</font>

They may have an interest in the over-the-counter products that puts more $'s in their pockets.

 

[MJB]

Acetone is a byproduct of the process to make phenol. That is why it is so cheap. The oil companies would love to get rid of it. If it could legally be put in gas or diesel fuel it would already be there.

 

[Highbeam]

I have found that using berryman's B-12 chemtool in the fuel tank as directed on the label gives a 1-2 mpg improvement every time. The b-12 is 100% toluene, a pretty stout solvent.

I imagine it is quite harsh so I use it only occasionaly but at 2.50$ per can, the improvement in fuel economy exceeds the cost of the product.