Lamp Oil C5-20

I found a litre of lamp oil labeled "Lamp Oil Paraffin C5-20 >65" in the shed that claims to be clean and create no soot when used. Is this stuff ok for lanterns? I seem to recall reading that lantern paraffin was 56-59, though I'm not sure what those numbers refer to.

 

Be careful, isn't C5 some kind of plastic explosive? You may never have to tidy your shed ever again. Only joking. Maybe designed for interior oil lamps.

 

If it is the stuff they sell in "arty" type shops for use in decorative oil lamps at over £4 per litre then it does burn very clean indeed and is almost scentless... I've tried it in Aladdin lamps and tested and in a stove where I got a beautiful blue flame without a hint of yellow, but at that price I would rather put up with the slight odour of ordinary paraffin.

 

I'm fairly certain it's for "arty" garden lamps and torches. I found it in the shed, and am positive that I wouldn't have purchased it if I saw the price.

 

C5-20 is probably the length of the carbon chains of the constituent molecules in the oil. C5 - pentane; C6 - hexane; C7 - heptane; C8 - octane; C9 nonane; C10 - decane, and I forget the rest to be honest. Any of these substances will have the general formula C(n)H(2n+2). Click here.

The flammability/volatility will depend on the exact proportion of each molecule present but IMHO and as a general rule, anything marked 'lamp oil' is probably more suited to wick lamps than pressure lamps...

 

Thanks everyone. I appreciate it. I'm new to the entire paraffin world, but I've picked up a couple of lanterns and stoves, and when I saw paraffin on the label I just had to ask. Paraffin and naptha products seem to pop up in surprising places, so I'm always wondering whether they can be used in a pinch.

 

Naptha should not be used in any pressure lamp which does not have a positive shut off valve, Jeff.

 

Sorry, Jeff - where was naphtha previously mentioned in the thread?

 

MarklnLondon mentioned naphtha although he spells it differently

 

So he did - my mistake...

Naptha and naphtha are alternative spellings for the same thing.

 

I had to pull you on that one after the Steve thing the other day, Quits now I hope.

 

Ooh no, wouldn't have thought so - a little wind-up every so often keeps things interesting...

 

Fair enough, I can take it.

 

I mentioned it because I'm an old Coleman guy... and I'm on Spiritburner, with many of the same folks, it seems.

 

Don't take it personally...

 

Dave, Dave,

first the Steve thing, now the Naphtha thing, what's coming next? Perhaps new glasses...

Steve

 

Steve, Steve - the Steve thing wasn't me!

Should've gone to Specsavers...

 

One at a time please.

 

Alan Alan Al Alan Steve Steve

 

An explanation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaPepCVepCg

Terry

 

Come on - settle down please...
Not safe for work - seriously, not safe for work.

Still, I don't suppose it'll be here by 9.00am tomorrow...