How long can gasoline be stored in a canister?
Precautions first and foremost
Gasoline is a flammable liquid, and its vapors are especially dangerous to human health due to their toxicity and explosiveness. Therefore, the question - is it worth storing gasoline in an ordinary apartment of a multi-storey building - will only be negative. In a private house, a few options are possible: a garage or an outbuilding. Both must have good ventilation, as well as serviceable electrical fittings (most often, gasoline vapors explode precisely after a spark in poor contact).
In the premises it is necessary to observe the proper temperature regime, because after 25ºWith the evaporation of gasoline are unsafe for others. And it is absolutely unacceptable to store gasoline near open sources of flame, open sunlight or heating devices. It does not matter if you have a flame oven, gas or electric.
The distance factor is also significant. Gasoline vapors are heavier than air and can travel across floors to sources of ignition. In the USA, for example, a safe distance of 20 m or more is considered. It is unlikely that you have such a long barn or garage, so fire extinguishing equipment should be at hand (recall that you cannot extinguish burning gasoline with water!). For the primary localization of the source of ignition, sand or dry earth is suitable, which must be poured onto the floor from the periphery to the center of the flame. Then, if necessary, use a powder or foam fire extinguisher.
What to store?
Since gasoline vapors are extremely volatile, a container suitable for storing gasoline should:
- be completely sealed;
- Made from materials that are chemically inert to gasoline - stainless steel or special plastic with antistatic additives. Theoretically, thick laboratory glass is also suitable;
- Have a tightly sealed lid.
It is desirable to have a long, flexible nozzle for canisters, which will minimize the possible spillage of liquid. Manufacturers of such containers must be certified, and when buying, you must require instructions on the rules for using the canister.
Note that, according to the generally accepted world classification, canisters for flammable liquids (metal or plastic) are red. Use this rule in your practice.
The capacity of the storage canister should not exceed 20 ... 25 liters, and it must be filled no more than 90%, and the rest should be left for the thermal expansion of gasoline.
Storage time
For car owners, the question is clear, because there are "summer" and "winter" grades of gasoline, which differ significantly in their properties. Therefore, it makes no sense to store gasoline until the next season. But to power generators, saws, and other powered tools used year-round, it is often tempting to stock up on gasoline in large quantities, given the seasonal price fluctuations.
When answering the question of how long gasoline can be stored in a canister, car owners should take into account the following:
- With long-term (more than 9 ... 12 months) storage of gasoline of any brand, ranging from the common 92nd gasoline to solvents such as Nefras, the liquid stratifies. Its lighter fractions (toluene, pentane, isobutane) evaporate, and anti-gumming additives settle on the walls of the container. Vigorous shaking of the canister will not help, but it can cause gasoline vapors to break out.
- If gasoline is enriched with ethanol, then its shelf life is further reduced - up to 3 months, since moisture absorption from humid air is particularly intensive.
- When opening a leaky canister, oxygen from the air always penetrates, and with it, microorganisms that change the chemical composition of gasoline. The initial start of the engine will become more complicated.
In order to prevent the deterioration of fuel quality, composition stabilizers are added to gasoline (20 ... 55 g of stabilizer is enough for a 60-liter canister). However, in this case, the optimal storage period should not exceed six months, otherwise the engine filled with such gasoline will not last long.
