How to Separate Gasoline and Diesel After Mixing?
2 Answers
Gasoline and diesel can be separated using a thin-film evaporator. Below is an introduction to gasoline: 1. Physical and chemical properties: Gasoline is a colorless to light-yellow, easily flowing liquid at room temperature, hardly soluble in water, and flammable. Its distillation range is 30°C to 220°C, and it can explode when the air concentration reaches 74-123 grams per cubic meter. 2. Preparation method: Gasoline is produced through the fractional distillation of crude oil and the cracking of heavy fractions. During crude oil processing, units such as distillation, catalytic cracking, thermal cracking, hydrocracking, catalytic reforming, and alkylation all produce gasoline components, but with different octane numbers. For example, straight-run gasoline has a low octane number and cannot be used alone as an engine fuel. Additionally, the sulfur content varies, so gasoline components with high sulfur content require desulfurization refining. Subsequently, these gasoline components are blended, and high-octane components are added if necessary, resulting in a gasoline product that meets national standards.
I've seen this kind of thing a lot during my years working in auto repair shops. It's really not easy to separate gasoline and diesel once they're mixed together - their densities are too similar, so they won't naturally separate even if left to sit. The reliable method is using distillation equipment, heating the mixture to evaporate it. Gasoline has a lower boiling point so it vaporizes first, and after condensation you get pure gasoline while the diesel remains for later processing. But this method should only be done in labs or professional recycling stations - household electric stoves are unsafe and could cause explosions. Mixed fuel is extremely harmful to engines. Diesel's high viscosity can clog fuel injectors when mixed, causing engine shaking during startup. If you do mix fuels, don't hesitate - go to a proper repair shop to drain and clean the system. Also, always double-check the labels when refueling to avoid mixing up fuel types due to distraction.
