Gas loses octane in plastic containers?

[bishir]

A chemist over at clubcobra.com posted something from a website regarding questions about race gas and octane boosters. Well, one of the sites said fuels in plastic containers will lose a considerable amount of octane over a short period of time. It said metal containers are best. Is this true, and if so does that mean our alcohol and Xylene mixes won't be as effective if stored in a 5 gallon red plastic container? If so I'm screwed...

James

 

[Pronto]

I don't know about the that but in the Jegs cat they won't sell plastic gas jugs in Ca. because of CARB. Maybe you should just use the jugs for transporting and mixing. Once done put it all in the tank. I am going to expriment with xylene when I get my chip.

 

[panic]

Not knowledge, but I keep reading that many plastics never "gas out", and continue to release fractions for many years into the contents.
Can't be good.

 

[Red Regal T]

I KNOW A COUPLE ROCKET SCIENTISTS.........I'LL HAVE THEM CHECK THIS OUT! WE COULD ALL BE SCREWED !!!

 

[galoush]

well some fuel cells are plastic , but VP c 16 comes in metal cans ????? My cell is alum . Who knows ??????????????

 

[topfuel]

Originally posted by bishir
A chemist over at clubcobra.com posted something from a website regarding questions about race gas and octane boosters. Well, one of the sites said fuels in plastic containers will lose a considerable amount of octane over a short period of time. It said metal containers are best. Is this true, and if so does that mean our alcohol and Xylene mixes won't be as effective if stored in a 5 gallon red plastic container? If so I'm screwed...

James

I've heard that about plastic gas cans from a guy at work.
He's a small aircraft pilot and uses high octane fuel in his plane, he said to use metal gas cans.

I can't find any metal cans though, everywhere I checked had plastic only.

 

[NastyGn]

This topic is intresting. A couple of weeks ago the National Dragster had a tech artical about this. What they said was that any light will hurt race fuel. They mentioned that the fuel for Pro Stock cars after it comes out of a 55 gal drum sitting in a plastic fuel jug will not pass there tech 12 hours later because sun light flashes off different chemicals. They also mentioned fuel cells and said that fuel that sat in them for a day would also not pass there fuel check.

They mentioned this artical because of trouble from a number of Pro Stock teams that could not pass the fuel check after making passes at the track.

It does make you think about fuel you buy and put into plastic fuel jugs and let sit for a week or so before you go to the track.

The artical did not mention what performance losses were from the fuel that would not pass the fuel check. It would be intresting to see in a controlled test what was lossed between fresh fuel and fuel a day or so old.

As far as finding metal gas cans check your local phone book for a safety company, or some industrial supply companies. Metal fuel cans are required by OSHA for storage of some fuels. But take note: These cans are VERY expensive.

Good Luck

 

[CraigT]

I have heard that sloshing gas around will make it lose octane. So transporting it in the back of your truck can make it bad. If that is true, what effect does it constantly recirculating in your fuel lines have?

 

[Pronto]

My guess would be that sloshing would cause more fumes that would evaporate, thus losing octane. Aside from being opaque, metal cans are more airtight than plastic ones. So maybe splashing around in a plastic jug would not be good for gas if it was done over a long period of time. I'm sure going back and forth to a gas station wouldn't do much harm. In a closed fuel system the fumes would be recycled back into the gas tank so maybe it's not as much of a concern there.

 

[Razor]

The Xylene I would buy at the paint store would come in a metal can. Both 1 gallon and 5 gallon.. heres a cheap container.

 

[salvageV6]

Here ya go, Jerry cans, been around for years.

$40 vs. $10 not that bad for a quality product.

http://www.4x4trailers.com/New items/Jerry Cans.htm

 

[TT/Ameasap]

I have also read that you need to store race gas in a metal container also.. I think it was in a motorcross mag w/ actual testing.

Like Julio said, go by some Zylene and theres your 5gal tank.


Bo