Reactivity Profile
GASOLINE may be incompatible with strong oxidizing agents such as nitric acid, peroxides, and perchlorates. Charring may occur followed by ignition of unreacted hydrocarbon and other nearby combustibles. In other settings, mostly unreactive. Not affected by aqueous solutions of acids, alkalis, most oxidizing agents, and most reducing agents. When heated sufficiently or when ignited in the presence of air, oxygen or strong oxidizing agents, burns exothermically to produce carbon dioxide and water.
Health Hazard
INHALATION causes irritation of upper respiratory tract; central nervous system stimulation followed by depression of varying degrees ranging from dizziness, headache, and incoordination to anesthesia, coma, and respiratory arrest; irregular heartbeat is dangerous complication. ASPIRATION causes severe lung irritation with coughing, gagging, dyspnea, substernal distress, and rapidly developing pulmonary edema; later, signs of bronchopneumonia and pneumonitis; acute onset of central nervous system followed by depression. INGESTION causes irritation of mucous membranes of throat, esophagus, and stomach; stimulation followed by depression of central nervous system; irregular heartbeat.
Potential Exposure
Gasoline is used as a fuel, diluent, and
solvent throughout industry.
First aid
If this chemical gets into the eyes, remove any
contact lenses at once and irrigate immediately for at least
15 minutes, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids. Seek
medical attention immediately. If this chemical contacts the
skin, remove contaminated clothing and wash immediately
with soap and water. Seek medical attention immediately.
If this chemical has been inhaled, remove from exposure,
begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions, includ ing resuscitation mask) if breathing has stopped and CPR if
heart action has stopped. Transfer promptly to a medical
facility. If swallowed, use gastric lavage (stomach wash)
followed by saline catharsis. Get medical attention.
Medical observation is recommended for 24 to 48 hours
after breathing overexposure, as pulmonary edema may be
delayed. As first aid for pulmonary edema, a qualified med ical professional might consider administering a corticoste roid spray. Cigarette smoking may exacerbate pulmonary
injury and should be discouraged for at least 72 hours
following exposure. If symptoms develop or overexposure
is suspected, chest X-ray should be considered.
Shipping
UN1203 Gasoline includes gasoline mixed with
ethyl alcohol, with not >10% alcohol, Hazard Class: 3;
Labels: 3-Flammable liquid.
Incompatibilities
May form explosive mixture with air.
Strong oxidizers may cause fire and explosions.
Incompatible with nitric acid. May accumulate static elec trical charges, and may cause ignition of its vapors.
Chemical Properties
Gasoline is a highly flammable, mobile liquid
with a characteristic odor. A complex mixture of volatile
hydrocarbons (paraffins, cycloparaffins, and aromatics).
Physical property values may vary depending on grade. The
Odor Threshold is 0.25 ppm.
Waste Disposal
Dissolve or mix the material
with a combustible solvent and burn in a chemical incinera tor equipped with an afterburner and scrubber. All federal,
state, and local environmental regulations must be
observed. Alternatively, gasoline vapors may be recovered
from fuel transfer operations by various techniques.
Flammability and Explosibility
Extremelyflammable
Agricultural Uses
Gasoline, also known as petrol, is a mixture of volatile hydrocarbons having 4 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule. It has an octane number of at least 60. It is used as fuel for internal combustion engines and as a solvent. The major components of gasoline are branched-chain paraffins, cycloparaffins and aromatics.
There are several methods used for the production of gasoline. Among these, distillation or fractionation yields a straight run product of relatively low octane number, which is used primarily for blending, thermal and catalytic cracking, reforming, polymerization, isomerization and dehydrocyclodimerization. The various means of converting hydrocarbon gases into motor fuels by modification of chemical structure usually makes use of catalysts. The present source of gasoline is petroleum; gasoline may also be produced from shale oil and tar sands as well as by gasification of coal.
While gasoline can be synthesized from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, almost all gasoline is made by refining, cracking and alkylation. The fractions are blended to produce the required fuels. Motor gasoline boils between 30°C and 200°C. If the fuel is too volatile, the vapor bubbles are formed which hinder the flow of fuel (vapor lock).
Different kinds of gasoline are:
(a) Cracked gasoline: Gasolines are produced by catalytic decomposition of high-boiling components of petroleum. Such gasolines have higher octane ratings than that produced by fractional distillation. The difference is due to a higher content of unsaturated, aromatic and branched-chain hydrocarbons. The actual properties vary widely depending on the source, temperature, pressure and the catalyst used in cracking.
(b) High-octane gasoline: It is a gasoline with an octane value of 90to 100.
(c) Lead-free gasoline: It is a gasoline containing no more than 0.05 g of lead per 4.5 1 designed for use in engines equipped with a catalytic converter.
(d) Natural gasoline: It is the gasoline based on butane, pentane and hexane hydrocarbons. It is used in blending to produce finished gasoline with adjusted volatility but having a low octane number.
(e) Polymer gasoline: A gasoline produced by polymerization of low molecular weight hydrocarbons such as ethylene, propene and butene is called polymer gasoline. It is used in small amounts for blending with other gasolines to improve their octane number.
(f) Pyrolysis gasoline: Gasolinep roduced by thermal cracking as a by-product of ethylene manufacture is pyrolysis gasoline. It is used as a source of benzene.
(8) Reformed gasoline: It is a high octane gasoline obtained from low octane gasoline by heating the vapors to high temperatures or passing the vapors over a catalyst.
(h) Straight-run gasoline: Gasoline produced by distillation, without the use of cracking or other chemical conversion processes, is called straight-run gasoline.
(i) White gasoline: It is an unleaded gasoline especially designed for use in motor boats. It is uncracked and strongly inhibited against oxidation to avoid gum formation, and is usually not colored to distinguish it from other grades. It also serves as a fuel for camp lanterns and portable stoves.
Aviation fuel contains a less of low and high boiling components. The octane number or maximum power is carefully controlled by the structure of gasoline components. The gasoline may further be improved by an antiknocking additive. Other additives include lead scavengers (ethylene bromide), antioxidants, metal deactivators, anti-icing agents and detergents. The host of properties exhibited by gasolines results from the use of additives. These gasolines are used as a source of hydrogen in ammonia manufacture and as a source of energy for tractors and jeeps.
Industrial uses
Gasoline is a colorless liquid hydrocarbonobtained in the fractional distillation of petroleum.It is used chiefly as motor fuel, but alsoas a solvent. Ordinary gasoline consists of thehydrocarbons between C6H14 and C10H22, whichdistill off between the temperatures 69 and174°C, usually having the light limit at heptane,C7H16,or octane, C8H18.The octane number isthe standard of measure of detonation in theengine. Motor fuel, or the general name gasoline,before the wide use of high-octane gasolinesobtained by catalytic cracking meant anyhydrocarbon mixture that could be used as afuel in an internal-combustion engine by sparkignition without being sucked in as a liquid andwithout being so volatile as to cause imperfectcombustion and carbon deposition. Theseincluded also mixtures of gasoline with alcoholor benzol.
Environmental Fate
Since gasoline is a mixture, no simple summary can address
the fates of all of the components. However, many of the
toxicologically significant components are volatile and so are
lost to the atmosphere after being released to surface soil or
surface water. These compounds are then subject to photochemical
oxidation.
In addition, these components can leach through the soil
and contaminate groundwater where they may remain for long
periods of time. Under aerobic conditions, biodegradation of
gasoline components can occur in soil and surface water.
Toxicity evaluation
Little information is available on most of the mechanisms of
toxicity of gasoline. It has been suggested, however, that renal
effects in rats are mediated by alpha-2-urinary globulin and
thus of little relevance to humans who do not produce this
protein.