Nail Polish Remover: % Acetone?

[eb2143]

I already posted this at the end of the huge acetone thread, but realized it wouldn't get as many views as this. So, I am wondering, what percent acetone is your average nail polish remover? The one I found laying around was, "Nail Polish Remover enriched with Protein!!" It seems to have a lot of other stuff in it besides acetone, including water. Thanks.

 

[DrSmile]

Why in the world wouldn't you go to a hardware store and buy 100% acetone? Not that it'll make a difference in your mileage either way...

 

[whitedog]

Drsmile, the only way that Acetone will improve mileage is if a person buys it from a snak... I mean salesman that is selling it as a fuel mileage enhancer.

Once you buy it, just watch the mileage go on that salesmans new car as he drives away laughing.

 

[eb2143]

Okay you had your laughs, but I cannot ignore the amount of people who swear by it. I had to try it myself. I looked through every page of the Acetone thread and I think I saw 2 people who said they PERSONALLY found no difference, about 15 people who reported 2-6 mpg gains, and about 300 people who said it wouldn't do anything, and were so sure they didn't need to try it. I have to try it...but not with nail polish remover.

DrSMILE: Why'd you sell the S4?

 

[DrSmile]

Because it went off warranty

I don't want to get off topic, so I'll leave it at: Evo > S4

 

[whitedog]

Okay you had your laughs, but I cannot ignore the amount of people who swear by it. I had to try it myself. I looked through every page of the Acetone thread and I think I saw 2 people who said they PERSONALLY found no difference, about 15 people who reported 2-6 mpg gains, and about 300 people who said it wouldn't do anything, and were so sure they don't need to try it. I have to try it...but not with nail polish remover.

DrSMILE: Why'd you sell the S4?

Only two people that tried it under some kind of controlled conditions? ANd 15 people that wanted to see a gain, so they did?

Do it if you honestly think it will work, but do some blind tests. Have someone put the required amount in three containers and add diesel to top of the container.

Then have them fill three more containers with just diesel. Have them keep track of which is which and after you fill up, have them put in one or the other. Put in all three of one and note the mileage then and only then, not before.

Then do the same for the other three containers, again, only computing your mileage at the end.

Also, don't wait until the low fuel light comes on to fuel, but fuel when the needle is about 1/4 tank. Record all miles traveled and all fuel used.

 

[eb2143]

I'm a scientific person, trust me Whitedog! This is what I will to do. 650 miles per tank; min. 550 are identical every tank. Car has been incredibly steady for 142,000 miles @ 47-49mpg. Set cruise on the way to work at the exact same speed every day. NEVER in 142 thousand miles of driving have I gotten over 50.

I will run it to near emptry, fill it up, pop in .15 oz/gal. of 100% Acetone.

I'm completely unbiased, I can't believe it will work, I don't understand how it could work, and I don't really care if it works [i'm happy with my milage already] but if it does, it does.

Will do for 3-4 tanks, will fill at 1/4 mark for increased accuracy. Will buy from the same diesel station. Every time I fill up, will calculate needed Acetone right then and there after fueling and have it ready in the trunk.

If it get >51 on all the tanks I can and will conclude with a very, very high degree of accuracy that acetone has a positive effect on fuel economy.

Will anybody call me on making a conclusion on a car that has never gotten over 50 mpg in about 240 fill-ups and then gets three >50 mpg tanks in a row with Acetone?



oooo Evo > S4....I can't talk haven't driven either...but wow very interesting. I won't get off topic either

 

[PDJetta]

I already posted this at the end of the huge acetone thread, but realized it wouldn't get as many views as this. So, I am wondering, what percent acetone is your average nail polish remover? The one I found laying around was, "Nail Polish Remover enriched with Protein!!" It seems to have a lot of other stuff in it besides acetone, including water. Thanks.

Somehow, I seem to recall its 50%, but that may vary.

Why bother with nail polish remover when you can get 100% acetone in quart or larger cans at Home Depot and paint stores

Nail polish remover has water, dye, fragrance, protiene, etc. in it as well.

--Nate

 

[JetWag03]

Nail polish remover won't work because it has volatility inhibitors to keep the acetone from evaporating too quickly.

 

[whitedog]

I have to try it...but not with nail polish remover.

 

[eb2143]

lol thanks whitedog I love when people read the first post then just post their own (I am guilty of this too!)

Jetta Wagon's right, benzoate is a evaporization inhibitor and its ingredient number 6 on the protein nail polish remover (right ahead of the proteins, but still behind yellow #11)

I posted this originally trying to save a trip to a hardware store and becasue I was led to believe Nail Polish remover would work cause of 1 guy in that huge thread who said his wife's nail polish remover was basically 100% acetone (don't know what kind of nail polish she uses)

 

[chirorob]

She uses HomeDepot brand, it's the metal can that says "Acetone" on the front.

 

[JetWag03]

Doggie, I know I wasn't answering a direct question with that comment, but someone was bound to ask. Just trying to provide a little information for the other readers....

 

[Ernie Rogers]

My turn at the original question

My wife has a bottle of "average" nail polish remover. The description begins-- "Non-acetone ..."

The ingredients begin-- "Ethyl acetate, alcohol, water, blah, blah, ..."

I think the original, "average" nail polish remover was pure ethyl acetate and that would dry out hands, so they added some junk later. I didn't know they ever put acetone in.

Now, let's ponder this question one more time-- does acetone (or other volatile organic) add anything to mileage, i.e., engine efficiency?

Hmm, does ANY additive work? How about Power Service, does that improve mileage? ---Well, maybe. It contains ethers that raise cetane a lot. So, some additives will raise cetane, and that can improve mileage for an engine that injects fuel a little bit late. We think that biodiesel can improve mileage at low percentages, and I think that may be connected with a faster burn as well as a slight increase in cetane.

Hydrogen gas injected at low percentage into the intake air is reputed to boost mileage, and some people are certain that "humidifying" the air improves mileage.

Most of these benefits are probably real, and they generally add no extra energy. We know that diesel engines have combustion efficiency of about 98% or better, so no chemical additive can improve combustion efficiency enough to notice. The remaining factor is timing.

Remember that increasing injector nozzle size also tends to improve mileage by allowing the burn to complete earlier, with a slight reduction in combustion efficiency. Smaller nozzles improve emissions by increasing combustion efficiency but sometimes hurt mileage.

So, I think that's the tentative answer: If your engine is set to inject a little late, then any fuel additive that shortens ignition delay (raises cetane) or allows combustion to complete earlier will improve your mileage. A timing advance may also improve mileage. Engine experts in the forums could give more info on this topic.

Ernie Rogers

I already posted this at the end of the huge acetone thread, but realized it wouldn't get as many views as this. So, I am wondering, what percent acetone is your average nail polish remover? The one I found laying around was, "Nail Polish Remover enriched with Protein!!" It seems to have a lot of other stuff in it besides acetone, including water. Thanks.