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N20 and SO2 (sulfur dioxide)

7.3K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  01SS346  
#1 · (Edited)
I am a dentist so I can get surgical grade N2O. The info I have is that N2O available for general auto use is spiked with Sulfur Dioxide to deterr substance abuse. I am also a Chemist and I know Sulfur Dioxide will oxidize further (combustion) and you could be getting Sulfuric Acid inside your engine. That's really bad thing for your engine. Actually, one of the benefits of synthetic vs regular oil is that synthetics do not contain any form of sulfur while the regular oils do.

Anybody on that?
 
#2 · (Edited)
There are a couple ways to get S02 to H2S04. S02 + H20 >>> H2SO3- + 1/2 02 >>> H2SO4 OR S02 + 02 >>> 2 SO3 + H20 >>> H2SO4... Obvoiusly there are more but these two seem to be the most relevent. The second reaction is what I believe happens when SO2 comes out of a smoke stack, reacts with 02 and then with water to form acid rain... If SO2 is a by product of combustion (burning sulfer) can you get it to futher oxidize in your engine by burning it? I'm not sure.

I thought that was the purpose of a catalytic converter, to oxidize the NOx and SOx before they can be released to the atmosphere to form acids

However on the intake side of your engine, I guess you might be able to have enough H20 to react with the H2SO3??? It would also depend on the reaction rate of S02 + O2 which is probably much slower then 2 SO3 + H2O... But after combustion, I don't think there is enough O2 left to react with S02 in your exhaust system to cause a problem...

I'm not a chemist, but I would imagine that S02 doesnt cause a problem producing H2SO4, in N2O inducted engines, or else they would have chosen a different "denaturing" agent... But if anyone does try to inhale some N20 designed for cars... your lungs will be destroyed by Sulfuric acid, hence the reason its there...

Any Chemists out there that could help???

P.S. Even at whosale cost, it would seem that using Surgical grade N2O would make using it cost prohibitive to just burn in your car...
 
#3 ·
Well, in the combustion chamber you have all the ingredients for a nice chemical reaction. First, with the energy released by the combustion of gasoline is sufficient energy to meet any activation energy as well as themodynamics free energy requirements. The reaction media is not an aqueous solution but a gaseous state for all practical purposes. You would have to consider the high pressure inside the combustion chamber as a driving force in the thermodynamic equation. There should be some water molecules from atmospheric humidity; but, you will find lots of water molecules in the reaction products of the gasoline. I think what you need is SO2 + H2O to get a spontaneous exothermic oxidation reduction reaction. I assume that SO2 molecules will be in very small concentration but given the nature of the high temperature upon combustion of the gasoline them molecules will be highly energized by kinetic energy whereby I would bet you will find the probability of an effective collision increased dramatically between H2O and SO2 molecules. It is a nasty reaction. You would not want to be standing near a gallon of SO2 droped inside a bucket of water for the same reason you do not want to breath any SO2 in any concentration. Sulfur is such a nasty thing that our bodies identify sulfur containing molecules a a stink!

You know, one of the concerns of using regular oil is that such lubricants do contain sulfur based molecules. The sulfur content varies depending on the petroleum producing region it comes from. In the past some oil brands bragged on their low sulfur contents like the oils coming from PA. I think nowdays they don't even mention it because if they say the have less sulfur than other brands, in effect, they are saying they have sulfur while the synthetics will call outloud tyhe have no sulfur content whatsoever. One of the reasons you want to have synthetic oil in your engine is to avoid the Sulfuric acid coming out of the oxidation of the sulfur containing impurities in the natural oils. Similarily, you do not want injection SO2 into your combustion chamber.

Friend, SO2 is not a by product of the Nitrous Oxide production process. It is an additive. I really do not know how expensive it may be or it may be not with or without the SO2. I bet ya' there's other nasty impurities in the auto grade Nitrous Oxide.

By the way, it was the German Luftwaffe who first used Nitrous Oxide for improving the fighters performance.
 
#4 ·
Does that mean I have to stick with huffing Redi-Whip?
It's not very economical. :sneaky:
 
#5 ·
Hmmm, interesting.


I think the point is we save the surgical grade stuff for parties and the auto stuff for the track.


Wonder how many teens with half a brain took a hit of there NOS kit :gr_jest: :barf: That waz tight yo
 
#7 · (Edited)
adearmas said:
Friend, SO2 is not a by product of the Nitrous Oxide production process. It is an additive. I really do not know how expensive it may be or it may be not with or without the SO2. I bet ya' there's other nasty impurities in the auto grade Nitrous Oxide.

By the way, it was the German Luftwaffe who first used Nitrous Oxide for improving the fighters performance.
Oh I'm completely aware that the SO2 is added to N2O as a denaturant... (I don't recall saying it was a by product of N@O combustion???) But Pharm grade N2O is purified as I would imagine you would know... Any purified substances (Gas, Chemicals etc) are going to be much more expensive then industrial grade even with other things (SO2) added... If you were really concerned about it, you could just have lower grade N2O shipped to you from the company that supplies your dentist office Surgical N2O. I would imagine a simple grade 1 without any (SO2 added) will be substatially cheaper...

I agree that there will be enough S02 and H2O vapor in the exhaust stroke from the engine... and I think it should be spontaneous, under standard conditions let alone inside a buring cylinder, but that will only leave you with H2SO3... you would now need any O molecule to turn it into H2SO4... Which would have to be stripped from CO2, CO-, or H20 or from one of the other compunds in exhaust... I think elemental O2 would be limited...

My knowledge of organic/inorganic chemistry is severly limited... as I only took what was need to get me thru an M.S. in Bio... But I'm still basing my theory that it doesn't turn into H2SO4 on the account that you don't hear people running N2O complaining about their manifolds and headers rusting out prematue...

P.S. I said SO2 is a by product of gasoline combustion, (not N2O) and one of the reasons for a Catalytic converter so free NOx and SOx is not relased to the atmosphere
 
#8 ·
I really do not know how expensive it may be or it may be not with or without the SO2.

Your a dentist and yuo don't know how much Pharm grade N2O costs????
 
#9 ·
Adam4356 said:
Hmmm, interesting.


I think the point is we save the surgical grade stuff for parties and the auto stuff for the track.


Wonder how many teens with half a brain took a hit of there NOS kit :gr_jest: :barf: That waz tight yo
They would only do it once!!!!
 
#10 ·
mistermike said:
Does that mean I have to stick with huffing Redi-Whip?
It's not very economical. :sneaky:

Even ready whip is considered food grade and not surgical... theres a lotta nasty stuff that comes out of those little CO2 type tanks That I wouldnt want in my lungs (anymore :secret: )...
 
#11 ·
I do not use N2O in my practice. Still could get it. On the acid thing I have heard there's enough sulfuric acid generated by the use of organic oils to cause pitting inside the engines. Maybe that's one of the reasons they recommend to change oild every 3k or evey 3 mo whatevewr comes first. I suppose they want to remove the oil and thus the acid before it stands too long a time inside the engine to cause the pitting.

On a related topic I was looking at some power booster products on the store shelf the other day and it seems like they use toluene and other aromatic compounds for the octane thing. if you remember from your basic organic chem course them aromatic compounds produce some havy soot when they burn so I think all that pwer booster stuff will leave some heavy soot deposits inside the engine. If any of you have some around just put some of it somewhre safe and ignite it and see the heavy smoke and soot it should leave behind. Just some food for thought.
 
#12 ·
Hell all I know is its fun to use hahaha (in the car)