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Acetone and Lubricity of Fuel; Ester Supplements Could Help
Acetone's positive results in mileage, idle, emissions, power, come in
part from its engine cleaning effect, removing the carbon build-up. Does
acetone degrade lubricity, creating long-term wear issues? Data from years
of acetone use do not show unusual wear. Esters purported to afford added
protection.
Follow-up from
 Acetone
In Fuel Said to Increase Mileage - Readily-available chemical added
to gas tank in small proportion improves the fuel's ability to vaporize
completely by eliminating the surface tension that inhibits full
vaporization of fuel droplets. (PESN; March 17, 2005)
Acetone, Lubricity and Ester
by Sterling
D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
EAGLE MOUNTAIN, UTAH, USA
On March 17, 2005, we at PESN published an article
encouraging the use of acetone in fuel in small proportions. Several people have
been trying this and have been reporting positive benefits such as increased
mileage, better starting, more stable idle, cleaner emissions. The more
people that have tried it, the more the reports have come in to this
effect. There have been only a small proportion of people (including myself)
who have not seen increased mileage at the concentration of acetone that they
used, but the vast majority of people who gave it a try have been pleased with
its outcome in their vehicles.
Speculation about Acetone's Effect on Lubricity
Then yesterday, Nick Bird contacted me, concerned about our use of acetone and
its ramifications on the lubricity of the engine. He has been pursuing the
ideal fuel additive for several years, and is professionally familiar with the
pros and cons of various claims.
He said that the positive effects that people have been reporting from adding
acetone to their fuel are in large measure a result of decarbonization, which is
good. Carbon build-up in an engine decreases its performance.
Removal of that carbon build-up can make an engine work almost like new: better
starting, cleaner emissions, more stable idle, more power, better mileage.
One of the acetone forum members raised the question,
"Why are the new engines running better in all respects?"
source: Ethos
PowerPoint presentation
Bird wondered if the same principle that removes the carbon -- acetone's
strong solvent action -- wouldn't also apply to the lubrication of the engine,
especially in the pistons, removing the protective lubricating barrier.
Because of its volatility, most acetone will be burned with the fuel in
combustion, but not all; and during compression of the vapors, acetone is
available to interact with the surfaces of the pistons. Because acetone is a
strong solvent, Bird wondered if it might tend to peel the oil molecules from
the walls of the pistons, causing them to run more dry, leading to increased
wear and decreased engine life.
Ethanol has been proven to do this in a myriad of studies. In certain
concentrations, its solvent action strips the lubrication, making the engine
wear down much more rapidly. Bird thought that since acetone is an even
stronger solvent than ethanol, that it would be even more deleterious to engine
lubrication than ethanol. However, he did not know of any studies that
have actually been performed with acetone, looking at their effect on the wear
on engines.
There are fuel additives such as Toluene, which are similar in their solvent
action to Acetone, and are marketed specifically for their decarbonization
action. Added in similarly small proportions, the instructions specify to
NOT use these more than two to three times a year. You add them to a tank
of gas, they do their thing, and you don't add them again for a long time.
Not so! Says LaPointe, who has data to back his assertion
Enter Louis LaPoint, author of the acetone story we published last month.
He has been studying the effects of acetone in fuel for around 50 years, and has
done extensive studies, including of the effect on lubrication in the
engine. He had this to say in response to Bird's assertions that acetone
would kill lubricity in the engine:
From: [Louis LaPointe]
To: Sterling D. Allan
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 1:32 PM
Subject: Re: Q. Acetone and lubricity
My 1964 Ford Econoline Ford Van ran over 20 years with acetone used
during all that time in the gas. Went 567,000 miles before the 80
below wind chill froze the water pump on Dec. 16, 1989 in Saint
Paul. When I pulled the head, the cylinders had .004 to .007 wall
wear. I had done the valves in Wisconsin in 1983 but they did not
really need grinding. I just lapped them. The MPG averaged 26 on the
road.
My 1995 Neon that is now 10 years old at 130,000 miles and runs with
acetone all the time. It runs perfectly. Absolutely perfect. Just
averaged 45 MPG IN TOWN last week. And just last weekend we averaged
50 to 73 MPG on a test run through Wisconsin with special mileage
devices attached. Never had engine work.
My 1990 Caravan ran great up to about 190,000 before the tranny went
out for the fourth time. Always with acetone up to 25 MPG. My 1997
Caravan still runs great and has 130,000 miles on it.
Our 1996 Olds gets 25 MPG in town.
THE LIST OF OTHER CAR AND TRUCKS IS TOO LONG TO MENTION HERE.
All THESE cars have Torco Oil in them and Baldwin Filters and NGK
plugs.
FACTS. Absolute true facts. My Scan Gauge does not lie and neither
do I. What data do these people show? Actual data. Actual test
results.
Just for the record, it is gasoline in the oil that causes severe
ring and wall wear. Anything that reduces or eliminates fuel from
the area of the rings MUST reduce piston, ring and wall wear. |
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Esters as Protective Agents
Bird recommends esters as an additive. He sells them, but not because that
is his bread and butter, but because he believes in it and wishes to make the
world a better place. He has other means of income, so this
"job" is a hobby, not a necessity for him. Specifically, he is
associated with a patented Esther product called "Ethos". (www.ethosfr.com
and www.ethosnw.com.) The smaller of
two ester molecules is engineered to remove the carbon, while the larger of the
two ester molecules fixes itself on the piston walls in the place of carbon, and
it has a lubricating value. Where the esters are present on the metal
surfaces, there are no valence electrons for the carbon to connect to, explains
Bird.
The esters can also be added to the oil for increased life and lubricity of the
oil. It can also be added to transmission fluid, power steering, rear end,
transfer cases, and any place where lubricity is indicated except for grease
applications, where they have not yet engineered the combination. It can
be used in place of the oil in two-stroke engines. It can even make regular
gasoline work in aircraft.
Bird says, "Most fleets report a 9 to 19% overall increase in efficiency
which more than pays for the cost, which is currently around 2.5%. Then they
report that their preventative maintenance cost start dropping."
Having been used for over 20 years, the esters have been proven with rigorous
testing to increase engine life by 50%. The optimal concentration has been
determined to be 782.25 ppm (1 oz / 10 gal). This holds true for all fuels
and all engines. It has to do with the properties of the metal.
"Any more is a waste, any less and it doesn't work as well," said
Bird. Esters stand up to the high temperatures and pressures of the engine
environment. That is why they are used in jet engines for lubrication.
"The oil companies have know about Esters for 15-20 years," said
Bird. "They have not yet chosen to do a sufficient investigation
regarding their routine addition to fuel for cars and trucks."
Esters are non-toxic. They are used in some food flavorings, and perfumes,
for example. Bird says he will actually drink a little of the Ethos when
he gives a demonstration to prove the point.
A down side is that esters don't have the surface tension diminishing effect
that acetone does on fuel, which is hypothesized as the primary mode of action
for the increased mileage observed when acetone is added to the fuel, enabling
more fuel to be burned rather than wasted. So the primary benefits of
esters are in removing carbon build-up and increasing lubricity, but not in
actual enhancement of the fuel itself, as is the case with acetone.
What about adding both Acetone and Ester?
I'm wondering what would happen if acetone were used in concert with a good
ester. Could the increased life and mileage claimed for the esters in
combination with the increased life and mileage of the acetone, claimed by
LaPointe, work in concert synergistically?
As more people test these things and report their findings, those with the
means to put some serious money and tools behind testing these claims are more
likely to do so.
A durability study runs several hundred thousand dollars. In essence
one set of engines is run with the product, and an identical set of engines is
run without the product, then the wear is compared. Dynamometers,
calibrated tanks, emissions sensors, attached to bench-top engines can be used
to quantify the other claims about these additives.
Don't wait for the oil companies get around to doing this before you act.
Their "planned obsolescence" policy behind their money-making
requirement rings far louder in their ear than the pleas of a planet on the
verge of industrial meltdown. This is, after all, a revolution, and the
Powers That Be have no interest in letting go of their hold on power.
Destiny and divine approbation are on the side of truth and those who seek for a
clean, peaceful world.
Ester for Experimentation
Nick Bird has offered the following.
"I would be more than happy to provide enough Ethos FR to anyone that
is willing to explore the advantages of using esters with acetone. All I would
ask is that they be willing to provide accurate test data. I have included an
example of an ongoing case study that I am
doing on a personal vehicle, a 1998 Ford E-350 van. I am confident that
any negative lubricity created by acetone would be more than overcome by using
esters to protect the engine. The important thing to remember is that the
engine should be treated with the esters first and then acetone added, not the
other way around. A good mileage baseline needs to be established first,
without any additives."
# # #
REFERENCES
- U.S.
Patent 4,920,691: "Fuel Additive"; May 1, 1990 - An
additive and liquid hydrocarbon fuel composition for use in a reciprocating
engine such as a diesel fuel engine, consisting essentially of a fuel and a
mixture of two straight chain carboxylic acid esters, one having a
low molecular weight and the other having a higher molecular weight, and
wherein the additive mixture increases the efficiency of the engine and
decreases pollution.
- Ethanol Injures Engines - "From all the data I can find, as
long as the percentage of ethanol remains at approx 10%, little or no damage
will result. It appears that when you exceed that percentage that the danger
increases, which is logical. The danger appears to be greater with engines
that already have more wear on them because the higher concentration of
ethanol can contaminate the oil by slipping past the rings." -- Nick
Bird
- Ethanol Mandates
Counterindicated (doc) - List of reasons why the push for ethanol is
not rational. by Taxpayers League of Minnesota.
- http://www.worldofmolecules.com/fuels/ethanol.htm
- http://www.worldofmolecules.com/solvents/acetone.htm
CONTACT
Nick Bird <ethoswashington{at}hotmail{dot}com>
Ethos Environmental NW
8600 E Mill Plain Blvd Ste D
Vancouver, Wa 98664
(360) 256-8223 office
(360) 256-8224 fax
(360) 601-4158 cell
(866) 307-5465 toll free
See also
Page composed by Sterling
D. Allan Apr. 12, 2005
Last updated February 06, 2008
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