Ever wonder what’s in fix-a-flat? The February 2007 issue of wired tells you!
“Amorphous polyolefin – In the can, this shapeless mass of polymeric olefins (low-density plastics like poly-propylene and poly-ethylene) remains dissolved in the heavy aromatic naphtha. But once Fix-a-Flat is sprayed into the tire, the plastics coat the inner surface and plug the leak. Then the sticky aromatic resins keep them in place. The TFE dries the resins and poly-olefins, and you drive to the nearest service station to get your tire repaired. “ – More… & also check out the “Big Questions” Wiki from Wired, lots of good questions everyone is asking in science.
Update: Make reader Rostov writes in – “You should also mention that naphtha, a relative of gasoline, is highly flammable. Mixed with the air in the tire, it can explode. Many tire repair facilities refuse to work on tires that have been patched with fix-a-flat. Don’t ever take a tire with fix-a-flat to be repaired without informing the workers, as it can be dangerous.”
6 thoughts on “What’s in Fix-A-Flat?”
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You should also mention that naphtha, a relative of gasoline, is highly flammable. Mixed with the air in the tire, it can explode. Many tire repair facilities refuse to work on tires that have been patched with fix-a-flat. Don’t ever take a tire with fix-a-flat to be repaired without informing the workers, as it can be dangerous.
I took a punctured tire to an older mechanic. After removing the tire, he said that he could not patch it because I used Fix-a-Flat and the patch would not adhere to the inside of the tire. He said that he would have to plug it instead. When I asked if AAA knew about this, he replied “They know.”
About 2 months later, the tire developed a bubble between the layers near the patch and I had to replace it. No more Fix-a-Flat for me!
Umm that can says “non flammable formula”….