insight into the nitro situation (3 Viewers)

[The Counterfeiter]

Based on a little reading I've done, nitro is most commonly made by heating propane to 350-400 degrees Celsius, then injecting nitric acid. What would prevent anyone from home brewing the stuff?

Uhhh - common sense, having a little trouble getting nitric acid and a big,really strong pot! -

 

[Bobby]

common sense would keep people from making it in their garage. True. And that's exactly why we should be worried about it....lol.

 

[Nitrohaulic]

I live on 8 acres. I'm thinking about something that's "way back there" on the property! I shoot milk jugs with a black powder .44 for fun so, the neighbors shouldn't notice anything.

I did read elsewhere that it's usually produced using steel that's been lined with ceramics, that it can't be allowed to come into contact with anything it can oxidize/react with. Was wondering if stainless would work.

If large chemical companies can do it, I don't know why someone couldn't do it on a smaller scale.

I thought flash point was just the temp it has to be at before a spark will light it?

Flash point - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I think this is what you're thinking of, Mike.

Autoignition temperature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[yoda]

Hmmm... The return of the dreaded...

HYDRAZINE!!?!?!?!!!

 

[d'kid]

what GREEN flames?

d'kid

 

[shane]

iB::Topic::Nitro Problems At Milan

 

[Nitrohaulic]

Berserko Bob just posted this on classicfunnycarboard.

I just got off the phone with one of the guys on our team, they're in Milan for the IHRA race.

Word around the pits is that this is the last race Torco will send a fuel truck to IHRA races. Plus the fuel they're selling this weekend is what he called "Funky" it has a lot of yellow dye and water was discovered in one of the drums we bought.

Wilkerson is running Schumacher's stuff and isn't having any problems but he only has enough for first round, after that he'll have to use the Torco stuff.

Should be interesting to see haow this all shakes out, stay tuned.

 

[Mad Mark]

Good analogy, Don, but lets add another dimension--You are at the ball park, and you want a beer. All that is available is the Bud for 8 bucks. No problem--you go to order one and find out that they only have enough beer for people in grandstand A and you're in grandstand B....then we got a problem, huh?

Reminds me of the night I got roped into handing out free T-shirts on Bud Light night at our local minor league park. One guy came running from another entrance whining he didn't get a shirt, and we just ran out. I told him they were for the first 6000 through the gate, and he was probably 6001. He didn't find the irony.
FWIW, are beers are 6 bucks.

One more thing- Go Don!!!

 

[None]

Berserko Bob just posted this on classicfunnycarboard. "I just got off the phone with one of the guys on our team, they're in Milan for the IHRA race.

Word around the pits is that this is the last race Torco will send a fuel truck to IHRA races. Plus the fuel they're selling this weekend is what he called "Funky" it has a lot of yellow dye and water was discovered in one of the drums we bought.

Wilkerson is running Schumacher's stuff and isn't having any problems but he only has enough for first round, after that he'll have to use the Torco stuff.

Should be interesting to see haow this all shakes out, stay tuned."

My, how the mighty have fallen.

 

[shoe]

Was there really a problem with the nitro supplied at Milan or just some rumors?

 

[.]

Don, you're the man! Sory, I coldn't resist.

 

[Nitrohelper]

...or just some rumors?

As attorneys say " first consider the source" .
Don, how about confirming the rumors about your warehouse full of Nitro in Indy. We need some for all us nostalgia match racers, and hopefully at a price less than NHRA is going to have to pay.

 

[Guppy]

I just got home from Milan, We ran the non Torco nitro all weekend and found nothing wrong with it.

 

[Nitrohelper]

If large chemical companies can do it, I don't know why someone couldn't do it on a smaller scale.

Ron ,take a ride to Sterlington LA. and look at the Angus plant. They took twenty-two months to rebuild it after the May '91 explosion. I would recommend you get some fire insurance too.
The chemical reaction takes place in a high pressure vessel at +400 C degrees . Plus after the reaction takes place you will have four major chemicals coming out of the chamber. You will then have to separate them, and run the Nitromethane through several distilling chains to get 99%.
WR Grace built a plant in Texas to produce Nitroalkane products, but couldn't complete with Angus & the Chinese, so it was converted to other products.
I did some product testing for Angus in the late '80s, at that time (no Chinese) drag racing was 7% of their Nitroparaffin sales.
You will be dealing with nitric acid as a primary component,so get ready to buy stainless steel piping and accessories.
Also your propane bill for both product and plant operation will smack your wallet.
Be sure to get approval from the Homeland boys for the plant if you plan to make over 400#'s

 

[Treeshaker]

Don - I had dinner last night with the crew chief of the winning top fuel car and he said there wasn't any problems with the nitro at Milan, other than the 40 gallon drums kept being delivered a little "light". But that was corrected when brought to the attention of the distributor.