Is it just glorfied kerosene? The previous owner of my house left several cans of it here, and I'm wondering if I have a use for it. It seems more volitile than kerosene, but certainly less so than gasoline.
Other than using it in Coleman lamps and stoves designed for it (which we don't have), does anyone know a use for it?
Naptha : White Gas, Naphtha, Coleman Fuel, Blazo
Usually colorless. It is an intermediate between the lighter (A volatile flammable mixture of hydrocarbons (hexane and heptane and octane etc.) derived from petroleum; used mainly as a fuel in internal-combustion engines) gasoline and the heavier (A colorless liquid hydrocarbon; highly inflammable; carcinogenic; the simplest of the aromatic compounds) benzine.
Naphthas are also used in other applications such as
(as an unprocessed component - in contrast to reforming above) in the production of (A volatile flammable mixture of hydrocarbons (hexane and heptane and octane etc.) derived from petroleum; used mainly as a fuel in internal-combustion engines, plus as industrial solvents and cleaning fluids, as an ingredient in shoe polish, and as an ingredient in some lighter fluids for wick type lighters such as Zippo lighters.
Ian M.
Transferred to Nova Scotia, retired at the end of June 2009!!! And bought a tractor!!!
Mine's blue, but I suppose that could be a colorant. So what might it be useful for around the homestead?
Burn it in your torpedo style heater to heat your shop.
Stoddard solvent. Originally dry cleaners solvent, now replaced by the less volatle "high flash" Stoddard solvent, which is mostly identical to mineral spirits.
Coleman fuel may have a lower aromatic content than the usual Stoddard solvent, as the aromatics tend to produce smoke.
Coleman puts a small amount of oil into the mix to lower the flash point of the naptha. I've used Coleman fuel for years to clean the internals of cameras, as it cleans and dissolves most petroleum lubricants, but it will leave a dry lubricating film behind. It works great for removing the gooey residue of paper price stickers and other annoying stickers. It has many other cleaning uses also. I use it quite often, and a gallon can will last me for 2-3 years.
Hopefully that oil RAISES the flash point! (Chuckle) Actually I doubt that a small quantity of oil will have any noticable effect on the flash point. The mole fraction of oil would have to be at least several percent to have an observable effect.
Hmm. Sounds like a poor man's "Goof Off". I guess I'll keep it around as a solvent. Beats just burning it or turning it in as toxic waste....
Thanks for the input, gentlemen!
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