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Lead served a dual purpose as a gas
additive:
-It was a cheap way to increase octane
rating
-It coated nicely the inside of the
cylinders, reducing wear.
Of course, Tetra-ethyl lead is toxic, to the
environment in general, and to people,
including you and me.
Lead will also completely
destroy the
catalytic converter of your car.
My half-baked idea would be to add a lead
scrubber before the catalytic converter, so
we can use cheap leaded gas, and reduce
valve friction, while staying
environmentally friendly.
What is needed is a 100% efficient lead
scrubber, because any escaping lead
would bollix the catalytic converter, and
make the car fail its emissions control
test.
The lead filters could be changed at the
same time as oil changes, and the lead be
recycled into brand-new toxic fuel
additive !
What say you ?
_Arthur
Brita filter
http://brewery.org/.../FiltBrita0596.html
Says it pulls out 93% of lead - not a bad rate. [shapu, Jan 05 2005]
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Annotation:
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//What is needed is a 100% efficient lead scrubber//
That's a shame! Any idea where to buy one? |
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93% is not too bad, but we need 100%!. Speaking as a failed chemist, I bet it doesn't take out 93% of petrochemical lead shite! |
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I say that leaded gasoline is no more a new invention than a spear. |
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One key question to determining the feasibility of this would be knowing what combustion products tetra-ethyl lead will yield. If the primary lead by-products are PbO and PbO2, it may be possible to filter those fairly effectively based on their density. Not sure how best to accomplish that, though. |
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A more interesting question would be whether the use of oxygenated gasoline and computer-controlled fuel injectors could render the catalytic convertor obsolete (when using a catalytic convertor, it's necessary for engines to deliberately leave unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust to 'feed' the catalytic convertor; if the engine controller instead tried to achieve 100% combustion it might be more efficient). |
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Ethylene Dibromide (EDB) was usually
added to leaded gasoline as scavenger
agent, so the exhaust would be rich in
lead bromide, rather than lead oxide. |
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Bromide is none too healthy either. |
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