Mothballs and Gasoline
name John
status other
age 30s
Question - Does adding naphthalene (mothballs) to gasoline increase
the octane rating? The info comes from
http://www.georgenitta.com/mothballs/mothballs.htm
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John,
Yes, mothballs will slightly assist the octane rating of gasoline. HOWEVER, in
that grain of truth there lurks the potential for disaster. One must use very
few mothballs (naphthalene only) because the ratio of carbon to hydrogen in
the molecules makes for a very dirty burning fuel. Too many mothballs and your
engine will load up with carbon deposits -- very bad news in the performance
department.
Also DO NOT mistakenly use moth crystals (paradichlorobenzene). The chlorine
atoms in this material becomes HCl upon combustion. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is
very destructive to engine internals.
Finally, unless your engine is high compression and in need of high octane
fuel, enhancing the octane rating of the fuel over what is required is simply
a waste of money. High octane fuel burned in an engine designed for lower
octane fuel does not increase engine power.
Regards,
ProfHoff 297
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Not recommended! Mothballs are often paradichlorobenzene, not
naphthalene. The former would form HCl and oxychlorides upon combustion
which would be very corrosive to the engine cylinders. Even if it is
naphthalene, the ignition system whether old fashioned carburetor or new
fashioned solid state, is not "expecting" an aromatic hydrocarbon. The
fuel/air combustion mix is going to be very smokey and possibly foul up the
engine, the fuel injectors (if present), and make a mess of you catalytic
converter. Sounds like a good way to mess up an engine to me.
Vince Calder
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http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem00/chem00485.htm
. There have been some concerns about the toxicity of para-dichlorobenzene, and naphthalene mothballs have again become popular. In the 1920s, typical gasoline octane ratings were 40-60 [11], and during the 1930s and 40s, the ratings increased by approximately 20 units as alkyl leads and improved refining processes became widespread [12].
