Understanding fuels... Kerosene, Diesel, Alcohol, White Gas, etc
Ok... I've been looking at fuels... in part trying to understand the basis of the fuels, in part looking at interchangeability.
Please comment...
- Kerosene... I've seen Parafin oil which I would assume is an animal byproduct from rendering (somewhat like lard and candle wax, I think). That would also explain why it was discovered a long time ago.
- White Gas... I would assume petroleum based, similar to gasoline. Not sure what makes it special.
- Diesel... Petroleum based
- Bio Diesel...Made of breaking down various plant based oils.
- Heating Oil..I assume this is Diesel, or something very similar (petroleum?)
- Methanol... Plant (wood) alcohol (probably a bacterial byproduct)
- Ethanol... Plant alcohol (probably a bacterial byproduct)
- Methane... Either plant/animal waste (bacteria) byproduct from anarobic oxidation, and also from petroleum byproduct wich is often wasted if not needed.
- Propane... I assume this is a petroleum base
- Butane... I assume this is a petroleum base
- Acetelene... Probably synthesized
?
- Hydrogen... Generally generated from water, but can be made with chemical reactions with acids, carbide, and/or other acqueous sources including overcharging your lead acid batteries.
- Coal... Of course is petroleum based. Can have various sulfur contents.
- Benzine... Chemically is is a ring of 6 hydrogens (I think). However, the name is used synomously with gasoline in some languages
- And, of course, wood based and other solid products (wood, paper, etc)
I'm not sure what other fuels are available. I remember talking to someone who said that carbon monoxide can be oxidized to form carbon dioxide, but I don't believe that it is widely used in production.
Anyway, my main goal was to verify the origin of Kerosene, and whether other things can be easily substituted (especially for use in an "unvented stove").
