It's not the nitro that is corrosive, its the methanol. Nitro does ceate nitric acid when burned, but unburned it is relatively non corrosive with a PH close to neutral. Methanol however is corrosive to pure aluminum, not so much to aluminum alloys, and also corrosive to brass. Add a little moisture which the methanol soaks up and it is even more corrosive. I have worked with nitro burning race cars and some think it is corrosive because it was a safety item to clean out the aluminum nitro tanks. But that is because the patina that builds up on aluminum can react with the nitro and cause it to explode on impact. Steel tanks are supposedly no problem, but still a good idea to clean them just the same. Course drag racers mix methanol with the nitro as well.
Last edited by Sport_Pilot; 03-02-2014 at 09:57 PM.