DirtRider . Net MX, SX, Arena Cross, Off-Road Community
Dirt Rider . Net Text Version Home
Dirt Bike Dirt Bike Dirt Bike Dirt Bike

This is the text version of DirtRider.Net
Click Here for the Full Version


Pages: 1

Isoprene?

(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: bclapham

When i was doing some research in these forums regarding race gas, i came accross some statements regarding the newer Nutec fuels. Apparently, the Nutec fuels really provide some oomph, and it appears the key ingredient/additive they are using is isoprene.

Any ideas on how much they are using? Any experiments on its addition to any of the standard race gas blends etc? Any ideas which fuels will accept it better than others? Any possible pitfalls on blending?

dont worry, i am not going to go and try it, just interested thats all!

cheers

Bruce


Posted by: luvtolean

I love the fuel threads on this site! I found that it has a boiling point of 37.1 degrees, so I'd imagine using it would mean you need to handle the fuel well for it to work. I also found an interesting article about it and it apparently works.

The article claims addition of 1-5% is the normal dose, and that it can cause predetonation if you aren't careful. Here's the full article.

http://www.dragbike.com/news/07-00/071400a.htm


Posted by: bclapham

my aldrich catalog says 34 deg C, i think this traslates to 92 deg F, for reference, MTBE is 55C (92F).

additionally, the Nutec pro-mx fuel has an IBP of 81F so that stuff must be hard to keep in the bottle!

the interesting take from the article is the crystaline residues! isoprene readilly polymerizes so i wonder if those residues are polymer. for this reason, isprene is supplied with ppm levels of catechols (polymerization inhibitors) that are themselves solid, thsat said a 5% mix of a ppm solution will add up to nothing really! (my hunch is that these inhibitors would be combusted anyway)...more fuel for though!


Posted by: luvtolean

Quote:
Originally posted by bclapham
my aldrich catalog says 34 deg C, i think this traslates to 92 deg F, for reference, MTBE is 55C (92F).

the interesting take from the article is the crystaline residues! isoprene readilly polymerizes so i wonder if those residues are polymer. for this reason, isprene is supplied with ppm levels of catechols (polymerization inhibitors) that are themselves solid, thsat said a 5% mix of a ppm solution will add up to nothing really! (my hunch is that these inhibitors would be combusted anyway)...more fuel for though!


You're the chemist, I'll trust your facts over some website's! Lubrizol's site also lists isoprene as an additive to oil:

Hydrogenated Styrene-Diene Copolymers — Hydrogenated styrene-diene (isoprene or butadiene) viscosity modifiers are characterized by fuel economy benefits, good low-temperature viscometrics and good high-temperature engine performance.

Guys here have used nitro, I'm sure someone has used this stuff and can tell us about it too.


Posted by: gonzodog

I'm a Chemical Engineer working in the field of vibration mounts. Here are some useless facts not necessarily germane to this discussion.

Isoprene is the monomer for polyisoprene. You can find polyisoprene in nature - it's called "natural rubber" or just "rubber." There are also synthetic polyisoprene materials commercially available.

Styrene-butadiene polymers are typically a component of your car's tire treads - usually at 20 to 50% of the composition. These are all synthetic materials made from petrochemicals.

While isoprene may be good at the level of a few percent ini fuel, the concen about detonation noted above would be reason for caution.

Some polymers ( polyisobutylene, etc) are used as viscosity stabilizers in lube oils, perhaps the styrene-butadiene materias are used there - that's a question for the lube oil experts.


Posted by: bclapham

i didnt see the replies until now.

lets hold tight with the polymers, sometimes i should hold back starting these threads since its quite easy to give out misconceptions about stuff and confuse people (please dont think i am trying to patronise here). Isoprene is a very volatile liquid, very flamable with a double bond in and hense this is maybe why it is good aditive. However, anything with poly- in front of it will never be a good fuel, polymers are often solids with very high molecular weight, a good analogy would to be throwing a polystyrene cup into the gas tank to bring up the octane in a similar fashion to toluene, it just doesnt happen.

sorry to start off this confusion.

regards

Bruce



This is the text version of DirtRider.Net
Click Here for the Full Version

Text Version Home





vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.
vB Easy Archive Final ©2000 - 2009 - Created by Stefan "Xenon" Kaeser