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Ethanol (and Lead) in Fuel, a Technical Perspective


konrad
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  • 5 months later...

Excellent write-ups on fuel. There is one other factor with ethanol that must be considered and that is its affinity for water. I've noticed that any fuel with ethanol stored for a while where there is exposure to air seems to deposit a waxy buildup. I've seen this in carbs and fuel bottles. My suspicion is this is hydrogenation of the olefins in the compound gasoline component as they steal hydrogen from the water trapped by the ethanol. 

Any thoughts on this my imaginary friend.

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35 minutes ago, dan williams said:

Any thoughts on this my imaginary friend.

The short answer is, no.  I'm not a chemist and most of my reading on the topic has been on the combustion side.

However, there is a criticism of ethanol I've been meaning to add and will take this opportunity to do so.  It comes from the SAE book Alcohol as Motor Fuels (PT-19).

Alcohol is a good solvent for gums and many other materials which deposit from gasoline. A dirty gasoline fuel system is a source of trouble when filled with an alcohol-gasoline blend, since dirt is commonly loosened and plugs the system at critical points.

 

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