Thread: stoves
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Old 12-03-12 | 09:29 AM
  #174  
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Originally Posted by nun
...propan-2-ol (sorry for the mumbo jumbo there, but we seem to be splitting nomenclature hairs here so I thought I'd just emphasize the double OH in rubbing alcohol that gets lost by some even when you say isopropanol).
2-propanol is the accepted IUPAC name. It has a single hydroxyl group (-OH), not a double one. Since the hydroxyl group is the 'functional' group in the compound, an ending of -"ol" is added to the alkane's name and the position of the hydroxyl group is noted relative to the terminal carbon of the chain.

If the compound had a double hydroxyl group it would be called a diol and would not burn at under "normal" conditions. You'd need a high temperature, well past what you can get from a campstove.

Originally Posted by nun
I also don't worry about boil times as I've found that using a small well directed set of flames uses the least fuel to boil my water. Energy density is only one factor on the efficiency of a stove. Once it's lit energy transfer is everything and you've also got to consider flame patters, the cooking vessel and wind screen. I also use a 2 cup mug as my cooking "pot" so a gentle flame that stays on the base of the mug is ideal so no flames are wasted by going beyond the base and so that the mug handles stay cool. I boil 2 cups of water this way in about 5 mins on a warm day, 7mins if it's cold and use 15 ml of ethanol. It works for me, but I'm sure canisters are perfectly good at heating stuff up too.
Thank you for posting realistic heating times. These times are well within what I would expect for comparison to hydrocarbon fuels with a much higher heat content.
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