Historically called white gas, it is a liquid petroleum fuel (100% light hydrotreated distillate).[1] White gas was originally simply additive-free gasoline. This formulation is now rarely found. Coleman fuel, and other white gases, contain additives for inhibiting rust, ease of lighting, and fast burning. It is also cleaner than the original white gas.[2]
Additionally, it is a popular fuel for fire dancing.[5] Originally, it was simply casing-head gas or drip gas, which has similar properties. Drip gas was sold commercially at gas stations and hardware stores in North America until the early 1950s. The white gas sold today is a similar product but is produced at refineries and has a very low benzene content, benzene being a human carcinogen.[6]
Though Coleman fuel has an octane rating of 50 to 55 and a flammability similar to gasoline, it has none of the additives found in modern gasoline. Most burners will readily burn unleaded gasoline as a substitute fuel, however the additives can cause more carbonization inside the burner's pipes than white gas, and is generally not recommended without extra replacement pipes and service to clean the pipes every 30-40 hours.[7][8]
