Foeskes
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Hexane as torch fuel?
I am building a torch that works by evaporating a solvent and burning it in a Bunsen burner like nozzel. However I can't seem to find a good fuel,
gasoline doesn't bun hot enough, toluene doesn't seem to be hot enough either(nearly enough though).
I thought hexane might be a good fuel. My goal is a torch that can be used for glassblowing.
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Sulaiman
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For lampwork oxy-propane seems a popular choice. c2500 oC
Use commercial tanks, torch etc. as diy is not economical.
Kerosene is a common choice for your approach. c2000 oC
(gasoline c2100 oC)
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"gasoline doesn't bun hot enough"
2000 oC is 'hot' enough to melt glass,
maybe you are just not producing enough heating power (J.s-1)
[Edited on 13-7-2017 by Sulaiman]
CAUTION : Hobby Chemist, not Professional or even Amateur
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Foeskes
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I'm using air as a oxidizer, and the gasoline was burning with a blue flame. I tried kerosene but it isn't very volatile.
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JJay
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Kerosene is a lot more volatile if pre-heated. One way to do that is to run a heating coil through the flame. This approach is also used for heptane
in camping stoves; I see no reason it wouldn't work for hexane if you happen to have it in great abundance.
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Foeskes
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Isn't hexane already really volatile? Since its evaporation rate is 8 (BuAc = 1) Source: http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/evaporationrate.html
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NEMO-Chemistry
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They make a weed killer flame thrower. 2000c, it has a wick thing inside that heats the coil just like JJ is describing.
We got one for weeding the drive I will see if i can take a pic, the fule comes out as a vapor and sounds like a jet engine going full chat!!
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NEMO-Chemistry
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my pics were rubbish, but its this thing http://www.cheapmowers.com/acatalog/Sheen_X300_Flame_Gun_.ht...
The inside of the nozel has the copper coil in, they are cheap second hand on ebay, it says to use paraffin but i always used heating oil which is
pretty much kerosene, also had excellent result with biodiesel .
D NOT MIX PETROL in with it!!!!!
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tsathoggua1
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You might want to avoid hexane actually. n-hexane at least. It is unusually toxic for a hydrocarbon due to its metabolism to form 2,5-hexanedione,
which is neurotoxic, due to its ability to crosslink lysine residues in nerve axon proteins and cyclize, which causes a form of generalized axonal
neuropathy, and can extend to CNS toxicity. I avoid n-hexane wherever possible, using either pentane or heptane as replacements as demanded by the
situation, pentane is especially handy for crystallizing things/washing things out of other things since it evaporates so readily.
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