Gasoline

Gasoline, a mixture of light liquid hydrocarbons with a specific gravity of 0.60-0.68, obtained by distillation from petroleum. Depending on the composition, the boiling point of gasoline can range from 30° to 70°. As a volatile solvent, gasoline is used for extracting fats from plant and animal products; as a combustible material, it is used in heating devices, as well as for carburation of air and illuminating gas. Carburation of air consists in passing it through gasoline, which results in saturation of the air with gasoline vapors, forming a combustible mixture that can be used as illuminating gas. It can be burned in ordinary gas burners of all types. The use of gasoline for carburation of illuminating gas is based on the fact that the addition of gasoline vapors makes the gas flame brightly luminous due to enrichment with carbon particles. Gasoline is highly flammable, as its vapors with air form an explosive mixture; therefore, storing gasoline in workrooms is impermissible. To avoid accidents, it is absolutely impermissible to add gasoline to kerosene to make it burn better in 'primuses' and lamps. Inhaling gasoline vapors causes headaches, and with a significant concentration in the air of a room, more severe poisoning and death from paralysis of the heart or breathing may occur.