Identification and Development of a Gelled Fuel through the Use of Liquid Gelling Agents

The United States Forestry Service USFS currently uses solid powder gelling agents to create gelled gasoline for controlled burns. Because these gelling agents are difficult to mix with gasoline, nonhomogeneous solutions result. The inconsistency in the gelled gasoline results in larger quantities of it being used for controlled burns and also worsens the safety hazards associated with gel dispersion. Therefore, the project objective was to solve these problems by producing a better, thickened or gelled gasoline using liquid gelling agents. Laboratory tests were performed and a number of products were recommended for field test and evaluation.