Platypus for alcohol fuel

Thanks for the test, was there any effect on the alcohol performance?

I dont use platy’s for storage, just for on the trail.

I dont think this will be a problem unless I was attempting an unsuported AT thru-hike :-)

thanks again, did you test the alcohol, if so tell us about it, any problems?

VH writes:

>> I put 8 oz. of denatured alcohol in a 16 oz. Platypus…

Vick-

What kind of denatured alcohol did you use. Ethanol can be rendered undrinkable (denatured) with all kinds of additives. Maybe it’s one of the additives eating the plastic.

Cheers,

-Mike

>I dont think this will be a problem unless I was attempting an unsuported AT thru-hike :-)>

I didn’t have problems with it on a thru-hike. However, I didn’t use a Platyus the whole time… Alternated with disposable drinking water bottles.

>Maybe it’s one of the additives eating the plastic.< Good point. I used hardware store stuff denatured with methanol. Perhaps that is the culprit. Other denatured ethyl alcohols such as liquid Sterno contain a ‘bittering’ agent that is supposed to prevent folks from drinking it. The bittering agent is a solid disolved in the alcohol and I don’t imagine it would disolve plastic.

I went wandering through MSDS information I could find on several brands of denatured alcohol and found several additives that might attack the plastic. One brand even had a trace amount of gasoline (<1%). Methyl isobutyl ketone is a common additive, but doesn't seem to be as volatile as methyl ethyl ketone (used as a solvent with polyester resins-- it will melt the gel coat on a fiberglass boat!). I wonder if the methanol is reacting with the plastic over a period of time-- it is usually 4-5% of the denatured alcohol mix and nastier stuff than the ethanol.

I did find a “sootless stove fuel” at West Marine for alcohol stoves in boats. I couldn’t find an ingredient list on the web, but I will try to get by a store soon and seen if it is a “purer” form.

It is silly that farmers are pushing for increased use of ethanol and we can’t buy it pure.

I’ve kept my alcohol stored in my platy. “nipper” for about a year and I see no reaction and no problems at all. everything is fine.

Vick is probably carrying moonshine :) Keeps more than the stove “lit”. Hey– I never thought about alcohol lamps– dead simple and since we’re already carrying the fuel…. hmmmmm

Naw, aguardiente won’t melt the Lil’Nipper. It don’t stay in it long enough.

I did a little research on this and here is what I found:

Platypus containers are made of low density polyethylene #4 (I called their customer service line)

A manufacturer of polyethylene containers (http://www.spillcontainment.com/resources/polyethylene2.htm) had a chart of compatible chemicals. All the alchohols were compatible with storage in their particular version of polyethylene, BUT I did see that one of the common additives for denatured alcohol, Methyl Isobutyl Ketone, is recommended for short term storage– under one year. The chart also has the provision that temperatures be under 100F.

So, it may be the long term storage of the additives and/or extreme heat, like in the trunk of your car in August, combined with the additives. All total wild guesses and little science.

I did notice that Nalgene is making hip flasks: http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/subcategory.asp?categorysubcategorycode=163

There you go.
Thanks, Dale. That sounds like it settles the question.

I got by West Marine and had a look at the contents of their alcohol stove fuel: It has methyl ethyl ketone and acetone for additives– both very unfriendly to some plastics. The fuel was really expensive too. I’ll stick with my paint store denatured alcohol.

I had a good look at some high-budget marine alcohol stoves (see http://www.origo-sweden.com/products_f.html ). Interesting stuff, in that they just have a big pot (about 8″x 2″) full of some sort of synthetic wooly stuffing with an opening at the top about 2″ or 2-1/2″. The flame control is a sliding cover operated by a knob– just like the sliding cover on a Trangia. Of course, this is all surrounded by polished stainless steel, but the basic operation is actually a simpler version of the Trangia or the soda-can stoves we haul around– nowhere near the jetted flames to be had from our hiking rigs.

Good information. I'll take my HEAT out of my Platy sports bottle.

I have had the same thing happen to a Platy that sat in a cupboard filled with fuel for about 7 months. It not only developed pronounced vertical wrinkles, but also lost most of its fuel, though being tightly capped. I can find no leaks in the bottle, but somehow the fuel was lost.

Since I often use both denatured alcohol and HEET, I can't say for certain what was in the Platy that "leaked".

In a previous post methyl ethyl ketone, or MEK, was mentioned as an ingredient in some marine fuels. I thought I should mention that MEK has been claimed to be the most powerful carcinogen yet discovered. Not knowing anything more than that, I would think it should be avoided at all cost, if possible. Perhaps someone knows more about this and can enlighten us?

Michael