Jim Gurd
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join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
 ·Comcast
| Ethanol in gasoline
I've been conducting some experiments on the gasoline sold in my area. I live in the Metro Detroit area and we have a 7.0 maximum RVP requirement for all gasoline sold during the summer months.
Every station I have tested so far has been selling 100% pure gasoline. I've come to the conclusion that because of the low RVP requirement they are not blending ethanol because it would cause the RVP to spike out of control.
Even Sunoco is 100% gas. Their pumps say that it contains 10% ethanol but I tested it and it came back as ethanol free.
I got my test kit from here. One drop of the Quik-Check solution in a sample confirmed the absence of ethanol in all of the brands I tested. It will be interesting to see the results of testing the winter blends.
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3SGTE
ST215W
Premium,MVM
join:2000-11-23
there
clubs: | Dumb question perhaps, but it is my understanding that the higher the RVP#, the greater the ease with which the gasoline can evaporate.
Have I got that the right way round?
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·Comcast
| Yes, that's correct. I believe conventional gasoline has a RVP of 9.0 (and higher than that in the winter to allow easier starting in cold weather). Adding even a small percentage of ethanol causes the RVP to rise significantly.
One advantage of low RVP gasoline is that it reduces the chances of getting vapor lock in hot weather. It is less volatile and evaporates much more slowly (and therefore pollutes less from evaporative losses). In the winter the RVP must be increased in order for the gasoline to vaporize properly so you can get the engine started.
One interesting thing I read was that gas companies must run their tanks to almost dry before switching over to low RVP gas. Even a small amount of regular in the tank will cause the low RVP fuel to lose its low RVP properties. They run them virtually dry before making the changeover. This is one reason for price spikes during the conversion from winter gasoline to summer gasoline.
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI | Here is a map of the boutique fuel requirements nationwide.
»www.mobil.com/USA-English/GFM/Fi···_Map.pdf |
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Greg_Z
Premium
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL | reply to Jim Gurd
The pump stickers do not state that they DO contain 10% Ethanol, but that they MAY contain in the mix.
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Jim Gurd
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join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·Comcast
| No, it says it contains 10% ethanol. They could remove them if they wanted because Michigan does not require labeling for concentrations of ethanol of 10% or less.
»www.fueltestkit.com/state_guide_···aws.html
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Greg_Z
Premium
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL | Read the label, since ours here in IL state that the fuel in the pump "May" contain 10% Ethanol.
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI | I did. It says "Contains 10% ethanol". |
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Greg_Z
Premium
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL | And, every state is different. As long as the label states that it Does, or may, does it really make a difference.
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texans20
Weapons of Masturbation
Premium
join:2002-09-28
Texas!
clubs:
| said by Greg_Z  :And, every state is different. As long as the label states that it Does, or may, does it really make a difference. Yes the difference is huge. One means it does, and the other means it might. Pretty simple.
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hitachi369
Embrace Your Rights
Premium
join:2001-10-03
Grand Rapids, MI
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| said by texans20 :said by Greg_Z :And, every state is different. As long as the label states that it Does, or may, does it really make a difference. Yes the difference is huge. One means it does, and the other means it might. Pretty simple. Send them a angry letter, I'm sure they can add a "may" in there.
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Fat City
Premium
join:2003-03-10
Freedonia | reply to Jim Gurd
Did you try testing a known sample of ethanol just to make sure your little test kit works? Just to confirm your string of negative results... |
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Jim Gurd
Premium
join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·Comcast
| Yes. I have a bottle of Everclear.
The way the initial test works is you take a sample of gasoline and add a drop of the solution to it. If the drop falls to the bottom and doesn't mix it means there is no ethanol in it. I added a small amount (about 10%) of Everclear to the test sample and the Quick Check solution then mixed and turned the sample blue as I expected.
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Greg_Z
Premium
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL | Re: Ethanol in gasoline�
So, Everclear has Methanol mixed in it now.� |
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Jim Gurd
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join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·Comcast
1 edit | Re: Ethanol in gasoline0;
said by Greg_Z :So, Everclear has Methanol mixed in it now.� Are you really that stupid?  Methanol is poisonous. Everclear is 95% ethanol and there is zero methanol in it or else it would kill the person drinking it. 
Edit: resized image to fit
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Greg_Z
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join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL | Re: Ethanol in gasoline0;�
In order for Everclear to be classified as Ethanol, it has to contain Methanol. Everclear is a grain alcohol, not Ethanol.� |
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StNickless
@tmodns.net
| Re: Ethanol in gasoline0;0;
Chemistry 101
Ethyl
Methyl
2 entirely different beasts, wiki it...
quote:
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug, best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages and in modern thermometers. Ethanol is one of the oldest recreational drugs. In common usage, it is often referred to simply as alcohol or spirits.
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Jim Gurd
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join:2000-07-08
Plymouth, MI
·Comcast
1 edit | reply to Greg_Z
said by Greg_Z :In order for Everclear to be classified as Ethanol, it has to contain Methanol. Everclear is a grain alcohol, not Ethanol.� You have no idea what you are talking about. Grain alcohol is ethanol. If you drink methanol you will die.
It will not be found in any legally sold alcoholic beverage. Methanol poisoning is one reason people sometimes die from drinking improperly made moonshine.
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No_Strings
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Re: Ethanol in gasoline0;
said by Jim Gurd : Everclear is 95% ethanol and there is zero methanol in it or else it would kill the person drinking it. Even so, that shit'll kill you.  |
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Greg_Z
Premium
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL
·Comcast
| reply to Jim Gurd
Re: Ethanol in gasoline0;0;
Methanol is mixed with Ethyl Alcohol to make it Ethanol for use as a fuel. Grain Alcohol is just that, simple Ethyl alcohol. And no, I am not a dumb shit, just someone that actually uses common sense & yes I do know how this works.
What the test is looking for, is both Methanol & Ethanol chemical bonds, It will pick up on just the Grain Ethyl, but to properly test to see if the device is working, is not use Everclear, but Ethyl/Methyl mix.
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I threw out the map a long time ago. Now I follow my own direction! |
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