Napalm Napalm Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel). The title is a portmanteau of the names of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: co-precipitated aluminium salts of naphthenic and palmitic acids. Napalm B is the more modern version of napalm (utilizing styrene derivatives) and, although distinctly different in its chemical composition, is often referred to simply as "napalm". Napalm was originally developed in 1942 in a secret laboratory at Harvard University, by a team led by chemist Louis Fieser under the United States
Naphthenic acid acidic neutralization process and then distilled to remove impurities. Naphthenic acids sold commercially are categorized by acid number, impurity level, and color, and used to produce metal naphthenates and other derivatives such as esters and amides. Naphthenates are the salts of naphthenic acids, analogous to the corresponding acetates, which are better defined but less useful. They have the formula M(naphthenate) or are basic oxides with the formula MO(naphthenate). The naphthenates are highly soluble in organic media, such as paints. They have industrial applications including synthetic detergents, lubricants, corrosion inhibitors, fuel and lubricating oil additives, wood preservatives, insecticides, fungicides, acaricides, wetting