2007-01-30 10:45:10 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
Based on some of the information I remember when I worked briefly as a lab tech for a petroleum test lab . . .
Fuels like gasoline are really a cocktail of hydrocarbons. Thicker, oil-like stuff at room temperature with some thinner ones, and also aromatics that are gaseous at room temperature. So by freezing, you mean, when does it turn solid? The heavier hydrocarbons will start to solidify sooner than the aromatics.
The flash point of gasoline is about -97F, meaning that it will still burn at 97 degrees below zero. Most labs won't even have the ability to chill a sample down that far to find out! Even the -97F mark is going to vary, based on the additives in the sample.
Of course, if there is any water mixed in with the fuel, it can still freeze at around 32F, but that may depend on if there are any alcohols mixed with the sample. Methyl alcohol is a common additive you can buy to help keep water in your gas tank from freezing at low temperatures.
The thicker, heavier hydrocarbons, like paraffin will become solid at atmospheric temperatures. Some of the aromatics won't turn solid until -200F to -300F. Not something you'll see outside of a lab.
2007-01-30 13:00:25 · answer #1 · answered by dyke_in_heat 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The only thing that I can add to fci answer is that I looked up several oils, diesel fuels, etc in a handbook and none of them showed a solid temperature. Normally hydrocarbons just get more viscous as they get colder. And I mean colder like in -300 to -400 degrees. Wasn't it on Jupiters moon that they think that there are lakes of liquid methane CH4? They may appear solid but will creep and move. I know from experience that if you take 40 weight motor oil and get it to -40 F it will string like honey and make little dots like chocolate chips with tops.
2007-01-30 15:05:47 · answer #2 · answered by RobertB 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
32 F
2007-01-31 09:52:54 · answer #3 · answered by Maggie P 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It begins to thicken and break down at about minus 50. This is when the gas needs to be heated to start your car.
2007-01-31 12:55:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
wassup hombre,
its in the neighborhood of -178 F
i think it was in the movie The Day After Tomorrow
2007-01-30 14:19:16 · answer #5 · answered by Seattle 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it will trun solid at like -20 but it is still burnable down to like -100
2007-01-30 10:50:49 · answer #6 · answered by zspace101 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://van.physics.uiuc.edu/qa/listing.php?id=2479
2007-01-30 10:53:54 · answer #7 · answered by yaachan3 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋