Re: Naptha

[Tom Hickcox <cometkazie@earthlink.net>]

At 10:32 6/5/01, Ed Evanhoe wrote:
>Glen,
>
> >>At 10:50 AM 6/5/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>>Cookie, I thought that Naptha was a thickener.  I seem to recall that 
>>naptha is the NA is Napalm (Naptha-Palmitic,If my addled brain is still 
>>working)that was added to gasoline as the thickener.  Granted that 
>>gasoline and diesel have different properties and flash points, but 
>>wouldn't it thicken both?  I'm trying to remember the various additives 
>>in US diesel fuel for use in normal and arctic type environments, 
>>unfortumately, I can't for the life of me remember what the additives are 
>>right now.
>>Glen <<
>
>Now I'm confused.  I remember (from college chemistry days) Naptha as a 
>thin liquid and that it had to be thickened for use in Napalm.  Could 
>easily be wrong.

We used to add a thickener to gasoline to make the fuel for the flame 
thrower circa 1962.  I believe this was a palmate derivative.  It has no 
relation to naphtha, a low boiling hydrocarbon cut defined by flash 
point/boiling range.  Zippo lighter fluid is a good example.  Naphthalene 
OTOH is a chemical compound C10H8.

Viet Nam era napalm was a commercially produced product.

FWIW,

Tommy