On 04/03/2021 00:32, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
Been quite a few scare stories in the press about how E10 petrol - coming
here later this year - will damage many older cars. Much of it the usual
press ********, after all E5 has been around for quite some time, and is
known to attack older 'rubber' flexible fuel pipes. Which don't last
forever anyway. Much of it generalization, but one specific was mentioned.
It attacks the solder used on carburetter floats (those made of brass).
Any comments?


I'm not a chemist, but as far as I know, Ethanol doesn't attack solder.
However, Acetic Acid (Ethanoic Acid - oxydised Ethanol - vinegar) does
react with Lead and maybe there's some of that present.

The reaction product is Lead Acetate which used to be called 'Sugar of
Lead' because of its sweet taste, and maybe that explains the sweet
smell referred to by Brian Gaff later.

[Lead used to be hung in beer which has gone off to remove the vinegar
and replace it with Sugar of Lead. This is no longer done. Health and
safety gone mad, I say.]

--
Cheers
Clive