What does fuel stabilizer actually do ?

OK, I'm just asking how fuel stabilizer works .... or what it is supposed to do or prevent? Maybe comment on whether or not you think it works or not but I'm more interested in what it is supposed to do.

It is magic and science.
believers will believe
and naysayers will deny


Fuel stabilizer works to stop this oxidation and chemical breakdown from happening. By pouring it into your tank and running the engine for a few minutes to distribute it through the system, it functions partly as an antioxidant and partly by absorbing water before your fuel can do the same.



Seafoam (http://www.seafoamsales.com/msds-downloads.html): 40-60% Pale Oil, 25-35% Naptha, 10-20% Isopropyl Alcohol

Sta-Bil (http://www.sta-bil.com.au/pdfs/STA%20-% ... iliser.pdf): 95% Kerosene, 5% Additive Mixture

The common ingredient between the two products are light mineral oils (Pale Oil and Kerosene). I was thinking that maybe that's what preserves/stabilizes the gasoline? If so, how exactly does it do that, chemically?


Generally speaking, the oxidation that occurs happens catalytically. Once a trace amount of a type of decomposition known as radical formation occurs, it's a downhill cascade. Stabilizers (which btw are not detergents) act as dead ends for these catalytic cycles. You can look up what exactly a radical is, but generally speaking all you need to know is that it's highly reactive and leads to all sorts of pathways that don't normally happen and leads to sever decomposition.

The mechanism, no matter what the stabilizer is roughly the same. The radicals are still there, just occupied in the form of the stabilizer, which doesn't propagate a cascade to further degrade whatever it's in.

All sorts of things can trigger the initial degradation; from oxygen, to light, to thermal decay.
Stabilizers are used in everything industrially. An example of such stabilizers that's extremely common even in the food we eat is something called BHT, which is also used as a common stabilizer in many solvents.


They are liquid forms of
smoke
and
mirrors

My understanding, it inhibits evaporation.

Evaporation allows the gas and ethanol to go away and leave behind sticky residue.

It makes you feel good about yourself.

For stabilizer to actually prevent fuel degradation, it would have to stop the more volatile distillates from evaporating. I haven't heard any reasonable explanation as to how it can do that, so I have to assume it doesn't.

That said, I do use Stabil, even though I believe its effect is only psychological. That way, when the carburetors on all my small engines are gummed up the next spring, at least I can say I [i:654c4848f0]tried[/i:654c4848f0].

It makes things start back again come springtime. How it does it must be magic. Dont care to understand the chemical functionality. Just know to spend the $ on last fill-up.

I Disconnect the fuel lines from all the carbureted motors in the fall, start the motor and let it run til the carb is dry. Farmalls 350, SH, SMTA, cub cadet mower, Mac amphib, Honda 90 on the lund, The same day I fuel up the empty snowblower, and the 5000 watt Honda genset. with stabil additive. I drive the Yamaha Rhino ald winter on Non ethanol fuel.