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child of insanity
is it flamable? is it simply a new name for gasoline? if not, is it as stable as gas, or less?
FrankTrollman
Well, in the real world, "petrochem" is an accepted shortening of "petrochemical" which is in turn an accepted shortening of "petroleum chemical derivative". Which basically means that it is smething made out of the black stuff inthe ground.

But it's also the name of a corporation that sells fuel and is based in the middle east. And it's the name of one of their flagship fuel additives. So my guess would be that it's just gasoline that has some additives to make it burn cleaner and more efficiently.

-Frank
RedKnightSpecial
It probably burns pretty dang well. I can't think of any petrochemicals that don't I think it's their name for gas.

Hell, even my sofa is mostly petrochem.
Cray74
QUOTE (child of insanity @ Nov 10 2005, 02:47 AM)
is it flamable? is it simply a new name for gasoline? if not, is it as stable as gas, or less?


It's gasoline, sometimes generically broadened to include diesel, kerosene, etc.

I know Rigger 3 differentiates diesel engines away from gasoline engines, so petrochem primarily refers to gasoline.
Sandoval Smith
QUOTE (child of insanity)
is it flamable? is it simply a new name for gasoline? if not, is it as stable as gas, or less?

One thing you can be certain of: if it wasn't reasonably combustible, it'd make a pretty lousy fuel source.
blakkie
QUOTE (RedKnightSpecial @ Nov 9 2005, 09:01 PM)
It probably burns pretty dang well. I can't think of any petrochemicals that don't I think it's their name for gas.

Hell, even my sofa is mostly petrochem.

Hydrocarbons do tend to oxidize. However the heavier ones (more atoms per molecule) don't so much [edit:readily in room temperature environments].

"Flammable", besides the lay meaning of being easily set on fire, is actually a techincal term. While hydrocarbon fuels are typically flammable, they can also be combustible. Diesel fuel sits around the borderline or above, depending on the particular mixture. For cold weather they mix in more lighter molecules to keep it from turning to jelly in the fuel tank.

Also jet fuel is usually NOT flammable. The reason is that by general rule the heavier the hydrocarbon molecule the more energy/weight it has** and the more controlled the oxidation (in gasoline this is refered to as having a higher octane). Because so much of an airplane's weight is fuel and weight is so important to an airplane, the trick to jet fuel is to have heavy of molecules that still burn completely so you get all the energy out.

Of course there is also the issue of safety in the case of a crash it's better to be riding with tank of fuel that is much more stable. cyber.gif

** This is really about the ratio of hydrogen to carbon bonds vs. carbon to carbon bonds, the later having more energy, and the total number of bonds in the molecule. But those details are for physical/organic chemistry class. smile.gif
RedKnightSpecial
That was amazingly informative. I don't need that shite on Saturday. I should be thinking about the lovins' I am gonna get tonight. Now I am thinking about carbon bonds.
ShadowDragon8685
Just start thinkin' about flesh bonds, then. smile.gif
nezumi
QUOTE (Sandoval Smith)
QUOTE (child of insanity @ Nov 9 2005, 09:47 PM)
is it flamable? is it simply a new name for gasoline? if not, is it as stable as gas, or less?

One thing you can be certain of: if it wasn't reasonably combustible, it'd make a pretty lousy fuel source.

Unless your car runs on water!!

*dodges thrown physics books*
hobgoblin
water is fun. its one of the most stable chemicals on this planet. yet its made of two that when combined can send a rocking into space...
nezumi
QUOTE (hobgoblin)
water is fun. its one of the most stable chemicals on this planet. yet its made of two that when combined can send a rocking into space...

How do you think it GETS to be one of the most stable elements in the universe?

Truth be told though, i think you'd find some of the noble elements to be more stable.
blakkie
QUOTE (hobgoblin @ Nov 13 2005, 03:48 PM)
water is fun. its one of the most stable chemicals on this planet. yet its made of two that when combined can send a rocking into space...

I'm not sure i'd think of water as particularly "stable". The molecules in liquid water are constantly in flux so that water is at once an acid and a base. This property is directly related to why water is so important to life, it is the "universal solvent" (you can dissolve both acids and bases into it, along with most other substances to some extent).

P.S. Incidentally a good sized portion of what comes out of a gasoline vehicle's exhaust pipe is water. The hydrogen from those hydrocarbons + oxygen creates water, which is the white "smoke" you see coming from the tailpipe on cold days. Also usually most of the "smoke" you see coming from industrial stacks is water condensing.
RunnerPaul
QUOTE (nezumi @ Nov 14 2005, 10:55 AM)
How do you think it GETS to be one of the most stable elements in the universe?

By being la substance that's not particularly reactive and is composed of atoms that have the same atomic number? Oh, wait, water is composed of atoms that have two different atomic numbers. Guess that means under science's current definition, water isn't an element. read.gif

(Now if you're talking classical elements, that's different, but seeing as that category includes things like Fire, its pretty easy to be stable in comparison.)
nezumi
QUOTE (RunnerPaul)
Guess that means under science's current definition, water isn't an element. read.gif

1) Synonyms: component, constituent, factor, ingredient

Hence, water is an 'element', even if not under the scientific, chemical definition

2) nyahnyah.gif

I forgot to proofread.
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