I was watching one of Dave Canterbury's Youtube clips the other day and he was advocating the use of chaffing fuel because it has more heat energy than ethanol/methanol and is safer. That statement sounded fishy so I googled it.

Apparently, chaffing fuel if made of diethylene glycol has almost triple the heat energy of methanol (2155 kJ/mol vs. 726kJ/mol). Has anybody seen this product? (Magic Heat) It is NOT Sterno, which is jellied ethanol/methanol, but it does use a wick and is in a similar container.

Your opinions?

I see this all over the place, but I've never tried it. I always assumed it was another variant on Sterno (pass). If it's hotter, it might be worth a look.

In Canada, it appears to be stocked in Home Hardware stores. And I'm sure I've seen the refills at Canadian Tire. There seems to be a stove kit (pot stand and fuel can) available:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/5/SportsRec/Camping/PortableHeaters/PRD~0762103P/Emergency+Heat+Kit.jsp

Can diethylene glycol be purchased in a liquid form? I looked at some listings but couldn't tell.

Look at the first question on this FAQ page


http://www.hollowick.com/2012site/EasyFAQ.html

Hikin'Jim
Do you know anything about the use of diethylene glycol in non-traditional (think alcohol stove) burners?

Never seen the stuff, what brand is is, where is it found in WalMart, Home Depot, Smart n Final etc.

there appears to be some pretty serious health risks associated with diethylene glycol if ingested....

Ethylene glycol is usually used as antifreeze for car radiators

It is , shall we say , a "double alcohol" from chemical point of view.
Dr. Blast can educate us about that

Meanwhile , Wikipedia tells us this :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_glycol

Well, it looks like diethylene glycol isn't necessarily safer than alcohol, just toxic in a different way. Instead of killing your retina, it kills your kidneys and some other important organs. Still, it can be used as a heat source and won't evaporate as quickly as alcohol.

not selling or anything-
http://www.scientificutility.com/prod_heat.htm

The large ones come with the vent/shield and the cross braces-

the smaller ones are just like sterno in shape.

rated run on stove is 8 hours; that is about what I got on my first one.

I have 4 sitting in my garage, and one in my carbox.

MUCH better than sterno- longer life, better design.

I think this one and the HEAT CELL brand are similar- found MSDS on heat cell via google http://www.heatcell.com/HEATCELLMSDS.pdf

HEAT CELL can actually be turned upside down and will not spill fuel- I have never tried this with Magic Stove......

Not the fuel itself -- in terms of safety it was implied by Dave that stove itself is safer because of less likihood to spill liquids and you can pick up the stove with your hands while it is burning because it uses a wick. Plus you can cap the stove afterwards.

Did I miss something or is there no purchase info on the web site advertisement? How do you price or order this stuff?

I had a look at Canadian Tire today, and they stock a variety of sizes including 3-pack fondue-size ($5.99). But the fuel itself is worth a fraction of that. There has to be a better price, probably through restaurant supply outfits since that's the primary market. Assuming it is worth buying.

As for health effects, it's hard to say since the manufacturer will only send MSDSs if you fill out a form and request it. Probably trying to protect their formula, which any decent lab could determine in a flash. The can labels make it clear that the product is highly poisonous and flammable without details (that I could see).

It's worth noting that there isn't really any benign stove fuel, though denatured ethanol is probably comes closest. Hydrocarbon skin contact, vapour, or ingestion is not terribly good for you. Glycols generally need to be swallowed to do harm, though the harm is significant. Methanol (methyl hydrate) is potentially the trickiest to handle since it is dangerous if absorbed through skin, inhaled as vapour, or ingested. Lesson: don't drink, sniff, or wash hands with your stove fuel.

Everclear?

Stove fuel, antiseptic, cocktail mixer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everclear_(alcohol)

In its role as a cocktail mixer, ethanol has probably killed more people than atomic weapons. It is surely one of the least benign substances known to man.

This really pushes one of my buttons. I have dragged entirely too many inebriated corpses out of the mountains and woods. Rant off.

Everclear as stove fuel? Maybe in the USA, but given the price we pay up here it would be cheaper to charter a helo and have them deliver Starbucks lattes.