What did you just say?? Kerosene is less volatile so is
more dangerous?? Tell you what... try this experiment for
me. Take a small dish of kerosene, about a cup, no more and
hold a lighted match above it. Vary the distance of the
match from 10" to 1/2" above the kerosene. Ok, did it
catch on fire??

Now, take another small dish with the same amount of auto
gasoline (oh, to add another variable, try it later with
Aviation Gas). Same dish, same match and Same distances
from the fuel. Did it catch on fire??

I STRONGLY suggest you use a very long match or otherwise
keep your hands at least two feet from the dishes. Also,
any injurys resulting from this experiment are solely your
responsibility.



As usual, words just don't do it and my explanation above is
inadequate. Yes, Kerosene is less volatile. Because of that, there
are fewer hydrocarbon molecules leaving the surface and saturating
the air above the liquid. It turns out that this lower
hydrocarbon/oxygen ratio is combustible where that ratio in a gas can
holding gasoline is not combustible. With gasoline, it's more
volatile and therefore there are too many hydrocarbon molecules in the
air above the liquid. The kinetics aren't right for combustion.

Your example of putting some of these liquids on a plate is not the
same. That's not a closed container. It's exposed to the air and the
concentration of hydrocarbons just above the liquid will be high but
decrease as you move away and above the dish. You'll find a point
where the kinetics are perfect for combustion. In a "CLOSED"
container this is not the case. The hydrocarbon concentration in the
air above the liquid is fairly constant throughout the inside of the
container because it's trapped. With Kerosene and its lower
volatility than gasoline, this molecular ratio to oxygen is just
perfect for combustion. In a container partially filled with
gasoline, the air above the liquid is too saturated with gasoline
molecules for combustion to occur.

This is why airliners almost always burn upon crashing. For years
there has been a ton of research to build tanks that have honey
combing in them or other materials to impede the combustibility of the
air above the liquid fuel. All research to date has done very little
to reduce the probability of burning upon impact for kerosene filled
tanks

(jet fuel is essentially just kerosene).

Now, back to my question. I am not interested in web sites that talk
about filling gas cans in the back of pick ups. I am interested in
hearing from anyone who has actually witnessed or knows of someone who
has been involved in a combustion occurring from using a plastic or
metal gas can. My point is that I think the regulations on all of
this are probably just bull ****. I think there have been so few, if
any, real accidents involving this situation that the safety
regulations are overdone to the point of absurdity. Industry itself
drives a lot of this so they can sell newer containers. Look at the
propane industry over the last few years. Those *******s are always
changing something and getting a law passed so they can force us to
have to discard our older containers and buy new ones. I'm thinking
that this gas can stuff is about the same. The probability of a spark
causing ignition during fueling from one of these containers might be
more remote than being struck by lightening.

Thanks.
--Juaquin