A liquid mixture of light hydrocarbons obtained from crude petroleum. Gasoline, or naphtha, is the distillation fraction of petroleum that boils between 35-204C (100-400F). Gasoline is used as a motor vehicle fuel, paint thinner, cleaning fluid, and general solvent. Gasoline dissolves grease stains and other fats, oils, resins, bitumen, rubber, and pitch. Additional fractions are often distilled from gasoline and have over the years been given overlapping names:
- fraction (boiling range) = alternate names
- volatiles (<40C) =propane, butane, LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), petroleum ether.
- naphtha, light (35-60C) = petroleum ether, benzine, ligroin, petroleum spirits.
- hydrocarbon solvents (60-100C) = benzene, toluene, hexanes.
- ligroin (90-150 C) =benzine, petroleum spirits, VM&P naphtha, heavy naphtha.
- mineral spirits (150-200C) =paint thinner, white spirits, petroleum spirits, Stoddard solvent.
Synonyms and Related Terms
petrol (Br.); essence (Fr.); motor fuel; naphtha
Hazards and Safety
Highly flammable. Toxic by ingestion and inhalation.
Sources Checked for Data in Record
- Reed Kay, The Painter's Guide To Studio Methods and Materials, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1983
- Hermann Kuhn, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Antiquities, Butterworths, London, 1986
- George Savage, Art and Antique Restorer's Handbook, Rockliff Publishing Corp, London, 1954
- Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000