Know Your Volatile Race Fuels: A Look At The Happily Violent Nitromethane Molecule


Know Your Volatile Race Fuels: A Look At The Happily Violent Nitromethane Molecule

It is the liquid that’s killed more engine parts, singed more fire suits, and caused the most havoc of any single substance in drag racing history. It is an indispensable fuel in the modeling and remote control world, you can buy it at hobby shops, and it is slightly less flammable than gasoline. We’re talking about nitromethane of course and we ran across a cool article on a science blog that looks at the nitromethane molecule and breaks down exactly what it is all about. Even they come away surprised with the fact that normal people can get their hands on the stuff and that is saying something.

Nitromethane has been part of the drag racing world for 70 years or more now. Insane to think about but the strange smelling fuel that made cars run really fast for short periods of time appeared in the tanks of German grand prix cars in the 1930s, on the lakes by the late 1930s, and at the early drag strips of American by the time the war let out in the 1940s. There was nothing like it. Guys who could run nitro like Vic Edelbrock were able to run as fast or faster than guys with supercharged cars on gasoline. The fuel was being used at Indy, in midgets, and anywhere that it wasn’t outlawed. Ultimately, drag racing would come to be defined by the fuel that can burn in the absence of oxygen and for good reason. It was discovered that the more volume you could more the more power you could make and power has always been the name of the game at the drags.

We were never stand out students in the science arena, especially chemistry so it speaks very well of this piece that we’re telling you to give it a read because we did. It is well written and balances the scientific jargon with some good old fashioned English. That’s the balancing act that makes the quick piece fun to read and gives you a little more insight into the reasons why this stuff is awesome for making power and awesome for making destruction as well.

Read this, you’ll dig it!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SCIENCE BLOG’S TAKE ON THE NITRO MOLECULE – INTERESTING STUFF

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4 thoughts on “Know Your Volatile Race Fuels: A Look At The Happily Violent Nitromethane Molecule

  1. Chuck TFH1166

    NITROWHAT……? I cringe when people confuse it with nitrous….. its a self oxygenated, self teaching, fuel prophecy.

  2. Nick

    Normally, the methane molecule (CH₃) has a very high octane rating (requires a lot of pressure for detonation) because it is made up of single bonds with hydrogen. Nitromethane (CH₃NO₂) contains it’s own oxidizer, about 57% of what is necessary for stoichiometric combustion. The NO₂ part of the molecule also contains a double bond with an oxygen. These double bonds are weak and and are usually responsible for initiating the combustion reaction. This double bond gives nitromethane a low octane and makes it combust with much less pressure.

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