Federal Mandate on Oxygenated Chemicals in Gasoline

[Boomer]

I asked about this before but never got a satisfactory answer. Doesn't the Federal standard for gasoline require an oxygenated additive to aid in the reduction of pollution? If so, how can stations sell alcohol-free gas? They can no longer use methyl-t-butyl ether so what oxygenate do they use? And if none, how are they allowed to sell it?

 

[javacontour]

Depends on where someone is.

There is not a single federal mandate, but a number of different fuel formulations depending on the local air quality.

Reformulated Gasoline | US EPA

Reformulated gasoline (RFG) is gasoline blended to burn cleaner and reduce smog-forming and toxic pollutants in the air we breathe. The Clean Air Act requires that RFG be used to reduce harmful emissions of ozone.

www.epa.gov

There are all sorts of maps showing which and where various reformulated gasolines are required.

 

[ctechbob]

Probably because the rules are so full of loopholes and exceptions.

Federal Gasoline Regulations | US EPA

The Clean Air Act requires EPA to regulate fuels and fuel additives for use in mobile sources if such fuel, fuel additive or any emission products causes or contributes to air or water pollution that may endanger the public health or welfare.

www.epa.gov

I started to read through that list and gave up.


Java beat me to it by about 5 seconds.

 

[Boomer]

So it would seem that some areas of the US are not allowed to sell alcohol-free gasoline while others are? I know I can buy it here in central PA but is it available around Washington, DC, for example?

 

[MrHorspwer]

I asked about this before but never got a satisfactory answer. Doesn't the Federal standard for gasoline require an oxygenated additive to aid in the reduction of pollution? If so, how can stations sell alcohol-free gas? They can no longer use methyl-t-butyl ether so what oxygenate do they use? And if none, how are they allowed to sell it?

Alcohol is an oxygenate, but it is not the only oxygenate. As you point out, MTBE is also an oxygenate. As the name says, MTBE is an ether. Ethers are oxygenates too.

The most common ether is ETBE. Others common ether additives are TAME, TAEE, and diisopropyl ether.

Even when you're buying "alcohol-free" fuel, there is still likely an oxygenate in it. Not alcohol, but an ether, almost always ETBE and some others. Ethers boost the AKI. Without an alcohol or ether to increase AKI, the formulation would need to rely almost exclusively on aromatics (xylene, toluene, etc.) and that's expensive.

 

[kschachn]

Yes I live in an EPA non-attainment zone in southeastern Wisconsin and oxygenated fuel is mandated in a five county area near Lake Michigan. There are also some communities in Wisconsin that on their own have mandated RFG so it’s not always just the federal government.

If you dig deep into the RFG mandate areas you will find out there are some huge populated areas with mandated RFG. Population wise it’s far more extensive than geographic areas.

And yes there are other oxygenates but EtOH is a de facto standard here and in many other areas due to lobbying efforts and state environmental laws.

 

[sloinker]

I was in Phoenix some years back and you could actually smell the ether when you filled your tank. Ethanol...nope.

 

[y_p_w]

I was in Phoenix some years back and you could actually smell the ether when you filled your tank. Ethanol...nope.

You need to get close to ethanol to get a good whiff. Something like 65% denatured ethanol hand sanitizer and your nose will sting a little.

I do remember MTBE had this faint whiff similar to wintergreen. The problem with MTBE was never that it was terribly toxic - especially compared to base gasoline. The problem was that it had a tendency to leach out of tanks and then contaminate groundwater with a foul, turpentine like taste. And all it took was a tiny amount to leave that taste.

 

[JustinH]

I've noticed the ethanol free fuel is usually around lakes and the gulf in Texas. I live near Medina lake, there is an ethanol free pump right up the street. Price is over a dollar higher per gallon.

 

[GoldDot40]

This article is several years old, but could shed some light to the OP's question.
https://www.greencarreports.com/new...-gasoline-only-seven-states-require-e10-blend

I'm hauling 90 Rec (90 octane ethanol free recreational) gas to more and more independent stations the last several months. Calling it "90 Rec" makes it sound like it is designated for boats, personal watercraft, ATV's, dirtbikes, small engine equipment, etc...vehicles that aren't necessarily operated on a large scale like passenger vehicles are.

I also have a couple of independent stations that are selling ethanol free 87 as well as 87E10 at the pump. What has me scratching my head is that they are paying MORE for that 87 pure gas than they would be for 90 pure gas.

 

[Skippy722]

This article is several years old, but could shed some light to the OP's question.
https://www.greencarreports.com/new...-gasoline-only-seven-states-require-e10-blend

I'm hauling 90 Rec (90 octane ethanol free recreational) gas to more and more independent stations the last several months. Calling it "90 Rec" makes it sound like it is designated for boats, personal watercraft, ATV's, dirtbikes, small engine equipment, etc...vehicles that aren't necessarily operated on a large scale like passenger vehicles are.

I also have a couple of independent stations that are selling ethanol free 87 as well as 87E10 at the pump. What has me scratching my head is that they are paying MORE for that 87 pure gas than they would be for 90 pure gas.

Same here, the one station I know of that sells 87E0 is priced the same as 93E10, but it’s not marked rec.

 

[ctechbob]

This article is several years old, but could shed some light to the OP's question.
https://www.greencarreports.com/new...-gasoline-only-seven-states-require-e10-blend

I'm hauling 90 Rec (90 octane ethanol free recreational) gas to more and more independent stations the last several months. Calling it "90 Rec" makes it sound like it is designated for boats, personal watercraft, ATV's, dirtbikes, small engine equipment, etc...vehicles that aren't necessarily operated on a large scale like passenger vehicles are.

I also have a couple of independent stations that are selling ethanol free 87 as well as 87E10 at the pump. What has me scratching my head is that they are paying MORE for that 87 pure gas than they would be for 90 pure gas.

The 'Rec90' is what the local Valero sells. Usually about the same price as premium. I'll usually top up whatever vehicle I'm driving when I get mower gas. The Acura loves it. Definitely gets better mileage. Not enough to make up for the price difference between it and mid grade, but it's fun watching the fuel trims drop when I run it.

 

[sk_pete]

95e10 here is not recommended for old cars.
It may destroy fuel parts...
100e5 is ok. No ethanol, etbe instead.

 

[y_p_w]

95e10 here is not recommended for old cars.
It may destroy fuel parts...
100e5 is ok. No ethanol, etbe instead.

The primary issue would be seal materials. Another issue would be that older vehicles didn't have modern emissions controls with a sealed fuel system. Modern fuel tanks are pressurized with fuel vapor, so there's going to be very little fuel oxidation.

That being said - adding ethanol to fuel was actually quite common years ago. It would create a higher octane rating, would allow advancing the timing, and could result in better cooling. It's literally adding oxygen into the fuel mixture. But it might have required complete disassembly of the fuel system where the seals were replaced with compatible materials.

 

[DGXR]

Moonshine is an oxygenate.

 

[capsicum]

Is Rec-90 just a marketing slang term or does it imply a specific sort of formula? Saying "Non-ethanol" is mostly marketing as it does equal saying non-oxygenated.
While switching oxygenates away from alcohol will reduce moisture absorption it does very little to extend dry storage life. Oxidation of the fuel is the primary cause of it going bad in long term storage.
RFG is not required for most off-highway uses. For example that Tru-fuel sold in cans and avgas are both free of any oxygenators, avgas for sure, and I assume Tru-fuel, actually has a small amount of anti-oxidant added; which is why in proper storage tank conditions they stay good for several years rather than 2-3 months.

The primary active ingredient in products like stabil is likely an anti-oxidant, (only 5% by weight though) but good luck against 10% oxygenator in the bulk fuel. (From the SDS I also surmise that the other 95% of stabil is a fall back plan of chemically stable light oils and solvents, not to prevent oxidation based gum formation but just to keep it soft enough to redisolve with the next fresh tank of fuel.)

 

[y_p_w]

Is Rec-90 just a marketing slang term or does it imply a specific sort of formula? Saying "Non-ethanol" is mostly marketing as it does equal saying non-oxygenated.

There are supposedly dozens of different fuels that are transported. I can't really find anything at this random fuel depot (in Georgia) other the CBOB, premium CBOB, ultra-low sulfur diesel, and fuel ethanol.

Chattahoochee Terminal

www.kindermorgan.com

 

[GoldDot40]

Is Rec-90 just a marketing slang term or does it imply a specific sort of formula? Saying "Non-ethanol" is mostly marketing as it does equal saying non-oxygenated.

All the terminals where I've ever loaded fuel, 90 rec is simply the 90 octane base stock. It still gets the same amount of detergent blend as 93E10. One observation, none of the branded fuels offer 90 rec. Any time I load it, it comes off a unbranded supplier such as ExxonMobil unbranded, Valero unbranded, Marathon unbranded, etc.

 

[capsicum]

All the terminals where I've ever loaded fuel, 90 rec is simply the 90 octane base stock. It still gets the same amount of detergent blend as 93E10. One observation, none of the branded fuels offer 90 rec. Any time I load it, it comes off a unbranded supplier such as ExxonMobil unbranded, Valero unbranded, Marathon unbranded, etc.

Oxygenation and detergent are different things.(some chemicals could perform double duty I suppose)
I think at the end of the day I will just need to ask the gas station selling Rec-90, if I ever find one. It may be a generic term that varies from region to region.
And until then just warn others that just getting an "ethanol-free" gasoline may be no better than buying a food that advertises "no high fructose corn syrup" while just substituting more sugar, empty calories either way. That is depending on intended use, of course, my main reason for avoiding normal gasoline is for seasonal storage reasons so I would like no oxygenates of any type. While a boat owner may use the fuel quickly and want ethanol-free purely because of moisture issues.

 

[GoldDot40]

Oxygenation and detergent are different things.(some chemicals could perform double duty I suppose)
I think at the end of the day I will just need to ask the gas station selling Rec-90, if I ever find one. It may be a generic term that varies from region to region.
And until then just warn others that just getting an "ethanol-free" gasoline may be no better than buying a food that advertises "no high fructose corn syrup" while just substituting more sugar, empty calories either way. That is depending on intended use, of course, my main reason for avoiding normal gasoline is for seasonal storage reasons so I would like no oxygenates of any type. While a boat owner may use the fuel quickly and want ethanol-free purely because of moisture issues.

So, I just read your reply as I was waiting in line to load a little while ago. After I loaded, I went inside to retrieve my manifest. I asked the terminal operator if any of the ethanol free gas that comes through this terminal contains any other oxygenates...his reply was no. Only detergent additives and CBOB. (Conventional Basestock for Oxygenate Blending). This would be true for all the "conventional gasoline" that's loaded here.