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Do essential oils damage climbing ropes?

Bob . · · lyons, co · Joined May 2012 · Points: 10

If you're worried about it, just dilute battery acid to 1/1,000,000 and wash your rope in it.

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520

Look Luke, nylon is not degraded by gasoline, another petroleum product. It's a scientific fact. Actually read up about it instead of being a weenie.

Nathan Flaim · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2013 · Points: 0
m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Ecm…

Applicable research nerds.
Ti ck · · souf yeast · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 1,760
Stich wrote:Look Luke, nylon is not degraded by gasoline, another petroleum product. It's a scientific fact. Actually read up about it instead of being a weenie.
links or I don't believe you. I have always operated with the understanding that gas is very very bad for climbing soft goods. Was told this by several climbers including an AMGA guide.

what about dyneema does gas hurt it?
Fortuna Wolf · · Durham, NC · Joined Mar 2016 · Points: 20

I'd actualy be a bit surprised if gas managed to hurt dyneema. PP and HDPE have high resistance to gasoline and are used as portable gas containers and tanks. Dyneema is UHMWPE. However, without testing I still would not trust it.

Brock B. · · Seattle, WA · Joined Mar 2016 · Points: 211

From the BlueWater Technical Manual:

Testing done indicates salt water, acetone, benzene, chloroform, freon, gasoline, kerosene, motor oil, mineral oil, paints and pine oil do not appreciably affect nylon and should not damage your rope.

Ti ck · · souf yeast · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 1,760

solid point fortuna, lets not forget there is 10% alcohol in our gas now too, could play a part? I know it is not good for a lot of the rubber components in motors. ahhhh thank you oil and gassholes for cutting my gas with something that ruins my vehicle...

Ti ck · · souf yeast · Joined Jun 2014 · Points: 1,760
Brock B. wrote:From the BlueWater Technical Manual:
sweet link brock, also says this which answers other questions:

"Laboratory tests performed have shown no appreciable damage done to nylon fibers by contact with insect repellents containing DEET (Test #0559). "
Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
Brock B. wrote:From the BlueWater Technical Manual: Testing done indicates salt water, acetone, benzene, chloroform, freon, gasoline, kerosene, motor oil, mineral oil, paints and pine oil do not appreciably affect nylon and should not damage your rope.
Yea well that's Bluewater ropes! How do I know gasoline and scented candles won't damage my Sterling rope :)
Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

I'm almost positive that if gasoline get's on aluminum, it can cause micro fractures.

Bill Kirby · · Keene New York · Joined Jul 2012 · Points: 480
Locker wrote:I'm almost positive that if gasoline get's on aluminum, it can cause micro fractures.
I have an associate degree from DeVry university and have done 500 hours of community service at the recycling center. Gasoline doesn't damage aluminum. If took online classes instead of trolling MP you would know that
Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

My favorite part:

"and have done 500 hours of community service at the recycling center.".

LOL!

Tim Stich · · Colorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 1,520
Kyle Cobbler wrote: links or I don't believe you. I have always operated with the understanding that gas is very very bad for climbing soft goods. Was told this by several climbers including an AMGA guide.

But the fact remains that both you and the AMGA guides you spoke to are misinformed. And, probably have less of a chemistry background than most people, so really, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I only learned this in the past ten years. Gas is bad for us to ingest, but nylon can resist gasoline, kerosene, etc. quite nicely. It resists other nasty shit as well, which is why many chemicals are stored in plastic containers of a similar structure to nylon.

Start here:

calpaclab.com/nylon-chemica…

Gasoline (high-aromatic) A-Excellent
Gasoline, leaded, ref. A2-Excellent

Also important. Nylon can be exposed to beer: Beer A1-Excellent

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon_66

From Valley Industries industrial site:

"Nylon is resistant to a broad range of chemicals including most agricultural chemicals, ammonium compounds, detergents, diesel fuel, ethanol, gasoline, hexane, magnesium sulphate, most sodium compounds, trichloroethylene and zinc sulphate."

Fuel Resistant Plastics: polymerplace.com/articles/a…

And that's just what I found in a five minute search. There are of course other threads where this has been discussed ad nauseum (Supertopo, here, rockclimbing.com no doubt) but trust me. I wouldn't make this up or share nonsense.

Kyle Cobbler wrote: what about dyneema does gas hurt it?
It's probably fine as well, but I didn't look it up specifically. That first site might have it listed.
Fortuna Wolf · · Durham, NC · Joined Mar 2016 · Points: 20

I'd like to point out that we're interested in a particular property of specially produced nylon. Its elasticity and tensile strength. Even if there is little degredation of other physical properties of nylon we don't know if it retains its full rated strength and dynamic elongation. Soak some rope in gas and do some UIAA fall testing on it.

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

Does anyone know if diarrhea is bad for ropes?

T340 · · Idaho · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 5

Dunno. I bet it ain't good for the belayer 's hands, though.
:0

Locker · · Yucca Valley, CA · Joined Oct 2002 · Points: 2,349

I was only asking because last week I squirted a little down my pant leg and on to the rope.

EDITED:

and in case anyone is wondering, yes, it was on a really hard 5.2+, so it was a proud squirt!

charlene · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2016 · Points: 0

LOL, went from me asking about essential oils affected climbing ropes to gasoline to diarrhea. How things get off topic LOL its funny to read :P

Gunkiemike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 3,492
Fortuna Wolf wrote:I'd like to point out that we're interested in a particular property of specially produced nylon. Its elasticity and tensile strength. Even if there is little degredation of other physical properties of nylon we don't know if it retains its full rated strength and dynamic elongation. Soak some rope in gas and do some UIAA fall testing on it.
May I direct your attention upthread just a bit. BlueWater seems to have done the testing. They are quite clear: gasoline doesn't harm ropes.

It's not surprising. Gasoline is known to have no adverse effect on Nylon. Everyone but a few newbie climbers seem to understand this. All the general compatibility publications e.g. Cole-Parmer communicate this reality. Despite Luke's extremely superficial rule-of-thumb, Nylon is not soluble in hydrocarbons for the simple enough reason that it is not a hydrocarbon. It is a polyamide polymer. Automotive fuel system components, like the disposable translucent fuel filter that used to be common on Japanese subcompacts 20 years ago, are made of Nylon.

But, whatever. Luke, if you're reading this and you ever get your rope splashed with a little stove fuel, let me know. I'll wager you a new rope that I can whip on the contaminated cord and not die.
Fortuna Wolf · · Durham, NC · Joined Mar 2016 · Points: 20
Gunkiemike wrote: May I direct your attention upthread just a bit. BlueWater seems to have done the testing. They are quite clear: gasoline doesn't harm ropes.
I was referring to Dyneema, which is UHMWPE, not nylon. I haven't seen testing on dyneema.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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