Boiling gas

[2oldman]

This has never happened...

A rather hot day at 7,000' elevation. Metal gas can with flexible spout, sitting in the sun. When I tried to put gas in generator, the spout first blew out a lot of air pressure, but then started spitting gas, and just kept spitting gas. It was as if it was boiling and wouldn't stop.

Had to put it in the shade for a while. Weird.

[Chum_lee]

pianotuna wrote:
naturist so please research all the boiling points at 7000 feet and let us know.

If it were ethanol and water since they are xenotropic, I have no idea of the "real" boiling temperature.

Search: "Gasoline FAQ Bruce Hamilton" 4 Parts, very technical but it has a chart with many of the major components of gasoline, their boiling points, and octane ratings. The chart is in Part 2 section 4.13. The data is for sea level but you'll get the idea.

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/autos/gasoline-faq/part2/

Chum lee

[pianotuna]

naturist so please research all the boiling points at 7000 feet and let us know.

If it were ethanol and water since they are xenotropic, I have no idea of the "real" boiling temperature.

[naturist]

It must be noted that gasoline contains a fairly wide range of substances, including some dissolved propane and butane, especially winter gas. That's why gasoline has explosive fumes. As you heat gasoline, the lower boiling components will boil off, and if you stick that gas can in the sun, at altitude, you can see that it actually has a wide range of boiling points, not some magical single temperature at which it boils.

[Fisherman]

One reason not to park your gas can in the sun.

[RobWNY]

2oldman wrote:
A spark at just the right time could have been.. interesting.

Or it could have been devastating and we would never have had this thread to read and comment in!

[2oldman]

A spark at just the right time could have been.. interesting.

[pianotuna]

2oldman,

A novel way to get rid of the ethanol! I'm glad you did not get hurt.

At 7000 feet the boiling point for ethanol is about 125 f

[2oldman]

joshuajim wrote:
Ethanol boils at 177 degrees. Might be the culprit

I bet that's it. Thanks

[joshuajim]

Ethanol boils at 177 degrees. Might be the culprit

[GordonThree]

185 F at sea level ... so a few degrees lower at 7000 ft? Metal can soaking up the Sun and it's 100 F outside? I could see it happening.