how do i make ethanol gel

[greenprogrammin]

I think there is a problem with the direction you are going.

 

A fuel such as alcohol will only contain so much energy.

 

Why would you try to burn it slower?

 

I think you should be more interested in burning it more efficiently.

 

Making sure the thermal energy is transfered from the source to the substance you are trying to heat should be important.

 

Use the appropriate metals (copper, stainless steal, cast iron, etc...) to contain the substance and distribute the energy efficiently.

 

I think if you are trying to burn the fuel slower you may lose heat through environmental disipation and lose most if not all of the benefits of the gelling agent.

 

I would also consider harnessing solar energy and using it for your thermal needs.

 

This posting was intended for the original poster... With how old this thread is I'm not sure it will help him now...

I'm not too sure of the interest of the others looking for gelling agents for Alcohol.

 

For the rest: consider JP8

 

Peace!

Edited November 7, 2009 by greenprogrammin

[Cosla2010]

i want to start making ethanol on a small scale and was wondering how to get it to gel.

Bekithemba

Jambo, am in Nairobi Kenya and have been tryuing to make the ethanol gel .Did you succeed in making yours?and is ethanol available in Kampala? Please advice

Chege

[Leader Bee]

Perhaps you might think of using Guar gum? It's a thickening agent/emulsifier used in oil drilling to prevent fluid loss among other industrial applications.

 

I'm not entirely sure how this would bind with ethanol but may be something worth looking at.

[atomikchicken]

 

 

The Gelled Alcohol Stove Fuel Editor's note: Don't know much about chemistry... I wonder if any danger could be involved in such a thing. Be careful. <br clear="ALL">"Y2k Canned Heat"

 

DISCLAIMER: I am not a chemist, nor do I have any training in this field. I’m just a guy that found this recipe, bought the ingredients put them together, and it worked. Any production you might do, is at your own risk.Ingredients:

Calcium Acetate

Ethanol

6 oz tuna can or cat food can

2, Clean 35 milimeter film canisters

Coat hanger (strong metal)Mixing Procedure:

Mix 11 Miligrams of Calcium Acetate (1/2 a film canister) with 10 mills of water. (fills up the canister) Then shake for 10 seconds,

let it sit for approximately one minute then shake once more for 10 seconds, make sure the Calcium Acetate is completely dissolved.Measure 10 mills of the solution and pour into can. Slowly add 40 mills of ethanol. As you add the ethanol, the mixture should "Gel" instantly. At this point I poured off any remaining Ethanol (a very small amount, looked like about 1/10 of an oz.) Because this mixture gels instantly, you do not have to combine the two until you need to use it for cookingOnce the solution has Gelled (approximately instantly), it is ready to use

 

The Author's Website: http://geocities.com/~y2k-survivor/

 

http://wings.interfree.it/html/Gelalcohol.html

[Canuck 4407]

Ummm I'm not quite sure what you mean by getting it to "gel".

For what purpose?

 

Well if you freeze it to -80C or colder it gets viscous like a gel. Otherwise you can add glycerol to it to thicken it quite a bit.

 

I need information how to make Ethanol Gel f

 

fermentation can make the ethanol.

 

What I need is how much ethanol to make Ethanol Gel. What is the ratio

[VAEM]

were you succesfull with your project? How cheap is ETOH in Zim?

 

 

 

i am in Zimbabwe, africa and here we have plenty of ethanol at a cheap price but people still use kerosene/paraffin for cooking. i need the ethanol to thicken so i am looking a suitable thickening agent

[bikemannc]

i want to start making ethanol on a small scale and was wondering how to get it to gel.

 

Did you ever figure out / get the cost down to what it will cost you to produce this gelled alcohol? Afew of my friends and I were interested in making our own here in the USA as to buy it is, well, not as much interest as making our own + cutting the cost of buying it. Best price here in the States via mail order or even in a Wal-mart is around $2.50 [uS dollars] each can. Collecting these cans helps as they are reusable and have tight fitting lids. My cost per can now in 2012 w/ an 8% sales tax is $1.46 to $2.21 per 16oz can.

How does this work out compared to your costs?

[Aviationgirl]

Folks: I have been working on a usable gel fuel recipe for almost a year now and I finally feel I have a successful and cost effective one. I want the fuel for use in a gel fuel fireplace so I based my research on duplicating the SunJel commercial fuel as closely as possible. I also use some empty SunJel cans to contain MY fuel as they are the sturdiest and are designed for the fireplace use. Which does require that I buy at least one case of the fuel to begin with. Anyway, here are the results of my research. I hope this helps others trying to come up with a more cost effective gel fuel:

 

Formulas - using empty SunJel containers

Concentrated for use with fire pots

Calcium acetate powder, 1/2 cup

$3.30 per half cup

Water, 1 cup

91% isopropyl alcohol - 6 cups

$3.87 per 6 cups

makes 4 containers

1.79 per container

Consistancy same as SunJel for use with gel fuel fireplace

Calcium acetate, 1/2 cup

$3.30 per half cup

Water, 1 cup

91% isopropyl alcohol - 10 cups

$6.40 per 10 cups

makes 7.5 containers

1.38 per container

 

Proceure:

 

Note: this first part must be done EXACTLY as stated or the jell will not happen correctly!:

1) Measure ½ cup of the calcium acetate into a large mixing bowl. Add one cup of water and whisk together well. Measure 6 cups of the alcohol into a separate bowl. Pour into larger mixing bowl all at once and whisk to blend.

2) Let sit until jelled and then add additional alcohol (up to 4-5 cups) to get desired viscosity. More alcohol will not increase its flammability, but if too liquid, you lose the safety benefit of the jell.

Notes:

1) SunJel using Amazon Prime costs $3.33/container

2) Supplier for calcium acetate - quartzpegmatite on ebay

3) Supplier for 91% Alcohol - Walmart

4) Use real beeswax nuggets for crackle

5) SunJel containers are the strongest and are designed for use in gel fuel fireplaces, increasing safety

Material Costs

Calcium Acetate

$20/lb (with shipping ebay)

91% Isopropyl Alcohol

$2.58/bottle (4 cups/bottle, Walmart)