K100 Fuel Treatment now available nationally at NAPA Auto Parts
NAPA has offered K100 on a regional basis for the past several years and last fall the decision was made to offer the product across the country. This has proven to be a big help to Kinetic Fuel Technology Inc. because, while their product is sold nationally through various category specific distributors, there are pockets of communities throughout the U.S. where there is limited distribution. With NAPA Auto Parts ability to access all the K100 fuel treatment consumer sizes, and to special order the commodity sizes for larger fleets, farmers, etc., through their Balkamp Distribution Centers, the need for the manufacturer to ship to unrepresented areas of the U.S. has been virtually eliminated. According to Jeff Lundh, President of Kinetic Fuel Technology Inc. “being approved and aligned with such a reputable company as NAPA is invaluable to our continued success.”
As a boutique, almost “cult” product, the previous owners of Kinetic Fuel Technology Inc. made a conscientious decision NOT to sell on a national level, keeping the product exclusively available in the Northeast. New ownership made the decision to ramp up production and expand distribution nationally and internationally. This was not a challenge in Canada. Canadian Tire was on board immediately, offering national distribution of K100 through a single distributor. Accomplishing this same feat in the U.S. took a bit longer. Although the company celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2015, partnering with a diverse, cross-category distributor with a national footprint in both urban and rural communities was challenging.
For the “tools and toys” of today, the introduction of ethanol to fuel has created numerous problems for consumers and businesses alike. Yet ethanol itself is not the root cause of the problems; it’s how the ethanol reacts with water. Water has always been in fuel, but with earlier non-ethanol fuels, it was more bothersome and didn’t adversely affect the quality or performance of the fuel. Ethanol fuel, however, is another story. The powerful attraction ethanol has to water, its hydrophilic, characteristic instantly attaches it to any water contamination present in the fuel. When the ethanol grabs onto the water, it alters the delicate balance between the ethanol and the gasoline – which is hydrophobic and resists the water, increasing the weight of the ethanol, and eventually dragging the wet ethanol to the bottom of the tank. This is where the trouble starts.
As the ethanol drops to the bottom of fuel tanks and out of solution, it takes the octane with it. This process is referred to as “phase separation”, and when this occurs, the fuel is basically ruined. Many additives on the market claim to prevent phase separation, but because most are petroleum based, they are unable to eliminate the water, the root cause of the problem in the first place, because oil and water don’t mix. Remarkably, the organic formulation of K100, developed almost 50 years ago, chemically alters the molecular makeup of the water molecule, changing it into a combustible chemical that puts it back into
suspension and harmlessly burns it out the system. K100 Fuel Treatment not only prevents phase separation, but it also has the ability to reverse it – something popular fuel additives are unable to do. The company is currently expanding their distribution network internationally. Interested distribution partners may order K100 Fuel treatment by calling 1-800-530-6935. Visit www.k-100.com for more information and a store locator in the U.S. and Canada.
