What is unleaded petrol used for?

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Ray Dart Profile
Ray Dart answered

Lead in petrol is a story all in itself. Tetraethyl lead was found to reduce "knocking" (preignition) in petrol/gasoline engines.

The discovery was made by a walking disaster named Thomas Midgely Jr. (He also "invented" Chlorofluorocarbons - the aerosol component that wrecked the ozone layer.)

T.E.L. Was known to release lead into the atmosphere and cause progressive (and irreversible) damage to the nervous system of higher animals. This uncomfortable fact was hidden by the auto manufacturers, the oil companies and the manufacturers of the stuff for years. 

Most countries have now banned the use of T.E.L. In gasoline. It lingers on in the third world, and a few Arab countries.

For the record Thomas Midgely Jr. Died at his own hand, when a contraption of his own design, invented to lift him out of bed, collapsed and strangled him.

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Anonymous
Anonymous commented
Unleaded is used because it is better for the environment
Ray Dart
Ray Dart commented
Thanks Tom for that unpunctuated, explanatory and useful contribution. Heaven knows how bad my answer would have looked without your timely intervention.
Rooster Cogburn
Rooster Cogburn commented
LOL !!!!
Rooster Cogburn Profile
Rooster Cogburn , Rooster Cogburn, answered

In the U.S. , we use unleaded petrol to reduce emissions from vehicles. We've been using it for many years now. If all countries would use it, we would have a lot less smog and poor air quality.

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Ray Dart
Ray Dart commented
You have to be a bit careful with the cause and effect. Because leaded petrol burns more efficiently than the unleaded variety, its first effect is actually to REDUCE smog. The real problem is that leaded petrol puts lead as a neurotoxin into the atmosphere, where it damages your central nervous system. There is a school of thought that says that street violence in big cities in the 60s and 70s was caused by the effect of atmospheric lead in the air of such cities. One day, someone will do proper research.
Rooster Cogburn
Rooster Cogburn commented
We'll see !

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