Oxegenating Agent... The problem (noticed first on powerboats with fiberglass fual tanks) is that it dissolves most fiberglass resins - and in the process wrecks fuel systems....
If you don't have a metal tank, don't run ethanol-contaminated fuel. Test kits are available, that rely on the fact that ethanol mixes with water, but gasoline does not. On 7/17/2012 6:33 PM, Tony King wrote: > I thought Ethanol was an 'octane boosting solvent'? > > TK > > On 18 July 2012 11:27, Chris Gardner <cgardn...@rogers.com> wrote: > >> Sid >> I had a similar occurrence years ago with my KR wing tanks made of Dow >> Derakane vinyl ester resin and Sunoco 94 octane gas. >> At the time I didn't think Ethanol was the problem but rather some kind of >> octane boosting solvent. >> Luckily I noticed it before running the fuel into the header tank or >> engine. >> Draining the tanks and letting it re-cure also worked for me. >> I now use Shell V Power 92 and test every load for ethanol with a simple >> water absorption test >> Works fine >> Regards >> Chris Gardiner >> kR2S 230 hours VW2180 >> >> >> Sent from my iPad >> >> On 2012-07-12, at 10:52 AM, "Sid Wood" <smw...@md.metrocast.net> wrote: >> >>> I remember Mark Langford saying that public confessions were good for the >>> soul or something like that. That also makes it more difficult to get >>> elected to political office. I am looking for neither of those concerns. >>> I once recommended building fiber glass fuel tanks using Vinyl Ester >> Resin. >>> All sources that I could find did say that Vinyl Ester was compatible >> with >>> the Ethanol found in most automobile fuels today. Conversely, Epoxy was >> not >>> compatible with Ethanol. I built the wing tanks in my Diehl wing skins >>> using Vinyl Ester Resin per the Diehl instructions. When I put in >> 92-octane >>> auto fuel containing 10 percent Ethanol, I got the same reaction as if >> the >>> tanks were made with Epoxy. Surfaces slowly started to dissolve, fuel >>> turned yellowish brown and a sticky brown goo starting clogging the >> sumps. >>> I researched my sources on the internet and all still confirmed my >> previous >>> conclusion. Looking a little further on solvency chemistry, I found >>> internet sites that address ways to enhance solvent action. Pure >> Ethanol, >>> gasoline and water are excellent solvents by themselves, but none of >> these >>> alone will effect cured Vinyl Ester. Adding 6 percent water to Ethanol >> will >>> produce a solvent that will slowly dissolve Vinyl Ester. So, how much >> water >>> would that actually be in auto fuel containing 10 percent Ethanol? The >> math >>> is easy: 10 percent of 6 percent is 0.6 percent. That's less than 1 >> ounce >>> per gallon. Where does the water come from? From the moisture in the >> air, >>> the Ethanol will readily adsorb the water in half full tanks, especially >> if >>> there is a vent like most aircraft tanks (like mine). >>> I now have drained the tanks and left the caps off. After 2 weeks the >> goo >>> on the inside surfaces has "re-cured" hard just like the original. The >>> quick-drains had become clogged and have been replaced. One concern is >> the >>> integrity of the tank walls; there is an imprint of the foam layer >>> sandwiched between the inner and outer wing surface, top and bottom, that >>> outlines the wing tanks. This imprint pattern appeared when the drying >> out >>> process was started. Any ideas what is going on with that? >>> Long term plan now is to use 100LL. >>> >>> Sid Wood >>> Tri-gear KR-2 N6242 >>> Mechanicsville, MD, USA >>> smw...@md.metrocast.net >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________ >>> Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. >>> To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net >>> please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html >> _______________________________________ >> Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. >> To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net >> please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html >> > _______________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to krnet-le...@mylist.net > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html
