Acid (was: Drain valves versus plugs versus suction)

[Robert Myers]

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At 10:01 PM 11/6/01, Nate Stuart wrote:
>---snip---
> > I told the mechanic, somewhat angry, "thanks for covering my car with
> > sufuric acid", to which he said, "What are you talking about?  I haven't
> > heard that one before, thats just some harmless water!"...
> >
> > It was dilluted sulfuric acid, wasn't it?
>
>Where in the world would the acid even come from?! Think about it, the only
>things your engine is ingesting are air and fuel, no combination of the two
>that I am aware of is going to make any form of sulfuric acid. Your mechanic
>was correct, the water on your hood was just that, water. It condeses on the
>inside of exhaust systems as they cool, then when fired up again the water
>is blown out the back in liquid form. Don't worry, your car may have gotten
>messy, but your paint and hood should still be intact.
>
>Later!
>-Nate

Amen, Nate!  It is just barely possible that there might be a _trace_ of
H2SO4 (that's just barely a trace - virtually none).  The only way it could
get there is through fuel contamination with sulfur compounds.  These could
burn and produce a bit of SO2.  The SO2 them would require oxidation to SO3
( 2 SO2 + O2 --> 2 SO3 )  which then would react with water to form H2SO4.
SO3 + H2O --> H2SO4.  Both of these last two reactions are (indirectly)
used commercially to make sulfuric acid but they are also both rather
difficult to cause to happen and require rather special conditions to bring
them about.  Those conditions are not found inside an infernal (pun
intended) combustion engine.

This process might be just barely within the realm of possibility were it
not for the fact that a major portion of the refining process is designed
to remove sulfur from fuel.  Sulfur will destroy a catalytic converter -
big time - so it must be thoroughly removed during the refining process.

Sulfuric acid in your crankcase or exhaust is, or should be, just about the
least of your worries.


Bob
*****
  Robert L. Myers   304-574-2372
  Rt. 4, Box 57,  Fayetteville, WV 25840 USA   WV tag Q SHIP
  '95 urS6  Cashmere Grey - der Wunderwagen    ICQ 22170244
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