Cool burning Meths

[Wunja]

I restocked my supply of methylated spirits for the Origo recently. The new batch doesn't burn hot enough to boil the kettle!

I've compared the ingredients to the previous bottle. Both are 85% ethanol, the original contained 5% Methylated alcohol, the new contains MEK and Bitrex.

I'm not sure if MEK is the same as Methylated alcohol or something else. These are also literal translations from Dutch, so may not be correct to the chemists here.

Is the Bitrex a factor for the cool burning or could it be just contaminated with water etc?

[aquaplane]

MEK is methyl ethyl ketone, similar to acetone which is diethyl ketone so it should burn OK.

Bitrex is probably something to make it a nasty taste to discourage folks from drinking it.

In the UK they have used pyridine to denature alcohol to make meths, I suppose they still do. The methanol (methylated alcohol?) in it also makes you blind before it kills you.

All these things should burn. You may have a duff batch, take it back and demonstrate the lack of tea making capabilities to your supplier.

[VicS]

I restocked my supply of methylated spirits for the Origo recently. The new batch doesn't burn hot enough to boil the kettle!

I've compared the ingredients to the previous bottle. Both are 85% ethanol, the original contained 5% Methylated alcohol, the new contains MEK and Bitrex.

I'm not sure if MEK is the same as Methylated alcohol or something else. These are also literal translations from Dutch, so may not be correct to the chemists here.

Is the Bitrex a factor for the cool burning or could it be just contaminated with water etc?

MEK is methyl ethyl ketone (or 2-butanone) CH3.CO.C2H5
How much is present?

Bitrex is a bitter tasting additive

Was this bought in the UK?

[petehb]

Bitrex is just the stuff they put in to make it unpalatable / drinkable I expect it would be in very low concentrations and should not affect the burning. MEK Methyl Ethyl Ketone should actually aid burning and I expect that is the reason for it's inclusion. All in all no reason from what you describe to suggest a problem with the alcohol it's most likely that it's to do with the combustion mechanism and lack of air, not familiar with the Origo so maybe someone else can help on that front but I would not go looking at the fuel if it is what you describe.

[Wunja]

How much is present?

It doesn't say.

I should probably say, that it is sold as a cleaner, rather than a fuel.

[Wunja]

All in all no reason from what you describe to suggest a problem with the alcohol it's most likely that it's to do with the combustion mechanism and lack of air, not familiar with the Origo so maybe someone else can help on that front but I would not go looking at the fuel if it is what you describe.

The only thing to have changed is the fuel. 20 minutes earlier, I boiled the kettle for tea with no problem. Refuelled the burner from the new bottle and nada. Tried the other burner with the new fuel and zip. No TEA!
The new meths does a moderate job of softening the adhesive on sticky backed neoprene seals though.

[VicS]

similar to acetone which is diethyl ketone.

No! its propanone CH3.CO.CH3

[aquaplane]

No! its propanone CH3.CO.CH3

I stand corrected, it's dimethyl ketone.

We only use it for washing up usually.

[parsifal]

Alcohol 'absorbs' water so maybe that's the problem - water content too high.

[RichardS]

Alcohol 'absorbs' water so maybe that's the problem - water content too high.

It seems unlikely that this would affect the burn temperature if it still lights and burns OK.

Allow 20 mls to evaporate in a dish and see if there is water left behind as the alcohol will evaporate before the water. You could speed this up by burning but don't allow the body of liquid to become hot enough to evaporate the water.

Richard