source: http://climateviewer.com/2014/12/23/chemical-trail-contrail-versy/

2014 is at an end and as I look back over the last year of looking up, I feel we are finally making some progress. I began talking about the chemical trail problem over two years ago and my sole focus has been “What in the World are the Spraying?” Today, though I know more about the particulars of aviation fuels and additives, I am left with more questions than answers.  Between the toxic substances in aviation fuel, acid rain, global warming concerns, and public outrage, the question I most want answered is: How do we introduce some clarity and accountability in the world of aviation pollution?

It is now clear to me that many jet fuel additives contain trade secret substances and carcinogenic chemicals.  It as also clear that the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for these fuels and additives almost always state the same thing:

Stadis 450 Barium Salt [MSDS trade secret][MSDS full]

TRIMETHYLBENZENE (SARA 313)
10 – 30% TRADE SECRET POLYMER CONTAINING SULPHUR
5 – 10% TRADE SECRET POLYMER CONTAINING NITROGEN
NAPHTHALENE (SARA 313)

“R-11 Highly flammable. R-36 Irritating to eyes. R-67 Vapours may cause drowsiness and dizziness. R-51/53 Toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. R-65 Harmful: may cause lung damage if swallowed. R-66 Repeated exposure may cause skin dryness or cracking. R-22 Harmful if swallowed. R-40 Limited evidence of a carcinogenic effect. R-50/53 Very toxic to aquatic organisms, may cause long-term adverse effects in the aquatic environment. Not classified. R-36/38 Irritating to eyes and skin. R-38 Irritating to skin. R-48/20 Harmful: danger of serious damage to health by prolonged exposure through inhalation. R-63 Possible risk of harm to the unborn child.”

Octel’s Stadis 450, originally made by DuPont, has been in use since 1962.  Used in both military and commercial airliners, this chemical reduces the possibility of static discharge initiated explosions. So what’s the problem?  Mixing chemical additives and jet fuel is a complicated process that is subject to human error and educated guesses:

It is a well-known phenomenon for conductivity to decrease as fuel moves through the supply chain and this can require re-doping between the refinery and the airport fuelling operation. The DEF STAN 91-91 and ASTM D 1655 specifications acknowledge this by applying a 3 mg/L limit for Stadis 450 on initial doping and a cumulative limit of 5 mg/L. The DEF STAN 91-91 specification also recognizes that, because of losses in the distribution system, the refinery may not be the best place to inject Stadis 450.  source:Joint Inspection Group, 2009

Another fine example is the High Temperature Thermal Stability (HiTTS) additive SPEC-AID 8Q462, and wouldn’t you know, deja-vu all over again.  This new chemical came during NATO’s Single Fuel Concept switch from JP4 to JP8 between 1988 and 1996.

In the late 1980s, as part of the U.S. Air Force Fuel Thermal Stability Improvement Project, an exhaustive search of more than 325 candidates was made to find an additive that could increase the thermal stability of jet fuel by as much as 100°F (38°C). SPEC-Aid 8Q462 is the only additive to meet the project’s goals; it has now been in use in the U.S. Air Force and other foreign air forces for more than 20 years. source: GE Power & Water Brochure

In 1989, the Propulsion Directorate began evaluating jet fuel additives to reduce coking and maintenance costs in aircraft engines and fuel systems. In 1994, the directorate selected an additive, designated SPECxAID 8Q462, to test on F-16s with Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-200 engines. The resultant additized fuel, designated JP-8+100, raises the fuel’s thermal stability up to 100°F hotter without increasing its propensity to form coke. The two-year test program using JP-8+100 resulted in a significant reduction in coke-related maintenance. To date, thousands of Air Force aircraft, as well as numerous aircraft of allied nations, successfully use JP-8+100. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently approved the use of the Betz Dearborn SPEC×AID 8Q462 fuel additive and its commercial equivalents for all Pratt & Whitney commercial aircraft turbine engines. TheFAA’s approval of the additive for use in commercial engines is a huge step towards wide use in the commercial aviation industry.  source: US Air Force Research Lab, 2001: Propulsion Research Could Revolutionize Jet Fuel

SPEC-Aid 8Q462 turbine fuel stabilizer and detergent additive [MSDS]

TRIMETHYLBENZENE (SARA 313) CAS:95-63-6
TRADE SECRET INGRED 561,TSRN 125438-5273P.
TRADE SECRET INGRED 428, TSRN 125438-5266P.
NAPHTHALENE (SARA 313) (CERCLA) CAS:91-20-3

SPEC-Aid 8Q462 contains two Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)Toxic Chemical Release Inventory (Section 313) chemicals, and has been in use for over 20 years.  The introduction of this additive had another side-effect, Stadis 450 had to reformulated:

“The materials were obtained from the following sources; HITTS additive BETZ SPEC AID 8Q405(A), had been supplied previously by Wright Patterson AFB, additives 96POSF3256(B), 98POSF3558(C), 99POSF3598(D) and 99POSF3724#144071(E) were supplied by Pratt and Whitney, and these, for ease of reference, will be labelled A, B, C, D and E as indicated, antioxidant Ionol K-65 by British Petroleum, Diethylene glycol monomethyl ether(FSII), N,N-disalicylidene-l,2-propylenediamine (MDA) by Pfaltz & Bauer Inc. and Phenol-loose crystals (99+% A.C.S. Reagent) by Aldrich.
Octel America supplied the reformulated version of the antistatic additive Stadis 450, designated here as r-Stadis. Two main fuels were used – these were, dodecane which was supplied by BDH Chemicals/Merk and purified by percolation through a mixed oxide filled column [7], and an additive-free Merox base fuel (fuel F-2) [contains Cobalt??] which was supplied by BP Oil Technology Centre. A small number of preliminary experiments used a second additive-free Merox (fuel F-l).
…
4.8 Estimate of Ion Concentrations: To our knowledge there are no reported estimates in the literature. … We accept that the above discussion includes several fairly major assumptions. However, its main purpose is to serve as a stimulus to further thinking about the basic science of these systems of which we still know very little.  source: Electrical Conductivity of “JP-8 + 100″ Additives in Hydrocarbons and Fuel,

… but the aviation industry uses it anyway and tests it on you, over your head, everyday …  along with all of these jet fuel additives:

READ MORE: http://climateviewer.com/2014/12/23/chemical-trail-contrail-versy/