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05-01-2009, 12:49 PM
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#1
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 6,624
Country: United States
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Dissolve waste polystyrene (foam cups/plates) in biodiesel for more power
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...rformance.html
Quote:
[...]
Kong and colleagues dissolved polystyrene – a polymer used to make disposable foam plates and cups – into biodiesel at concentrations ranging from 2 to 20% polystyrene by weight. "A polystyrene cup will dissolve almost instantly in biodiesel, like a snowflake in water," Kong says, although the plastic doesn't break down as well in petroleum-based diesel and other liquid fuels.
Tests of the mixed fuel in a tractor engine used for electricity generation showed that as polystyrene concentrations increased to 5%, power output increased at roughly the same rate. However, there was a drop off in output for plastic concentrations above 5%.
[...]
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I remember dissolving styrofoam packing peanuts in gasoline with a friend in high school, it dissolved readily and made a goop that was effectively napalm.
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05-01-2009, 01:05 PM
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#2
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Registered Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,111
Country: United States
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I wonder if it really dissolves or if it chemically reacts. The burning of polystyrene creates dangerous toxins.
I'd experiment but I think the apartment complex might have a problem with that... lol
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- Kyle
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05-01-2009, 01:07 PM
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#3
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Site Team / Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 4,740
Country: United States
Location: Northern Virginia
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You were making Napalm? Gee, my friends & I were making bombs out of 9 volt batteries...
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05-01-2009, 01:13 PM
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#4
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Registered Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,111
Country: United States
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Me and my friends made napalm from packing peanuts and gas. We also came up with fun uses for party balloons, oxy/acet torches, and large appliances people abandoned in the middle of nowhere. Ah, those were innocent times, sorta.
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- Kyle
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05-05-2009, 05:34 AM
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#5
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 113
Country: United States
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yup did the same here. had some good bonfire parties at the back of a friends house. one guy was all wasted and i swear he must have made a pound of the crap - then promptly tossed it all on the fire. i dont think ive ever seen flames that high lol
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05-05-2009, 07:17 AM
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#6
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,111
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Quote:
Originally Posted by zero_gravity
i dont think ive ever seen flames that high lol
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I take it you've never burned a Christmas tree. It's enough to make you never want a live one in your home again. I did a showing of that for my neighborhood once and the next year there wasn't a single live tree by the street to be picked up lol.
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05-05-2009, 07:34 AM
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#7
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,444
Country: United States
Location: Tiverton, RI
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I hear ya on the Christmas tree - burned a few branches in the wood stove a few times YEAOW! talk about combustion!!!! IT is SCARY how fast it goes up - lots of surface area on all those needles and covered with a waxy oil woosh! Once started if you leave the room to get a fire extinguisher you will not make it back into the room before the tree is totally involved.
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05-05-2009, 07:47 AM
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#8
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 6,624
Country: United States
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I threw a small piece of Christmas tree branch on the fire, walked away for a couple minutes, and when I came back I saw this:
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05-07-2009, 05:32 AM
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#9
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Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 113
Country: United States
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i've always had artificial trees because of my allergies. got the crap from birth thanks to my mom.
another good big fire was some drunken bonfire party tossing an old couch on the flames. man its scary how fast and hot those things burn.
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