On Apocalypses and Technology

[tyr_13]

Yes, there would be plenty of gasoline and diesel, but how long would it actually be useable? Water from condensation can cause problems after just a few months.

Another thought occurs to me; if gasoline is stored in a sealed container, are there any chemical changes that will occur over time that will render it unuseable?

Yes. Gasoline gells.

 

[ZirconBlue]

Yes. Gasoline gells.

How quickly, though? When I last bought a lawnmower the manual recommended adding a "fuel stabilizer" for fuel that was going to be sitting (in the mower or external tank) over the winter. I've never done this, and, yet, not had a problem with "old" fuel.

So, how quickly does the fuel gel or become unusable? Can additives, such as the commercially-available fuel stabilizers, slow this down? Can this process be easily reversed? Can I just google this instead of asking you?

 

[tyr_13]

You have my permission to google, which is just as good as the Pope's.

Gelled gas lines are a pain in the ass and can happen in as little as a few months of sitting. I know moving helps, but I don't know the specifics, only that it does happen.

 

[Galaxie]

At first I was going to say I'd never heard of gasoline gelling, but then I remembered the old fashioned(?) term "gasoline varnish" which is the same thing.

Anyway, from what I could find, the gelling is caused by a combination of water and temperature changes. So if one of these is eliminated, does gas still go bad?

I think more Googling is needed.