Potential Regular Petrol (Gasoline) Phaseout (AU)

[B320i]

SMH News Link

Rather than flat-out "banning" the lowest octane fuel, 91RON (about 87 on the scale used in the US), why not simply limit the levels of sulphur as in other countries?

I knew our fuel wasn't low-sulphur by any means, but I hadn't thought it be the "dirtiest in the developed world" (or so they tell us).

For the experts, is sulphur much like the ZDDP debate in motor oils, does it clean & protect, or is it simply a component of fuels that serves no real purpose?

 

[Shannow]

As is usual here in Australia, they are using two different facts to create an illusion of an issue that needs to be solved...solved by regulation that achieves a desired outcome, not necessarily congruent with the illusion.

A simple fact is that E10 is made with the same base fuel, and ethanol added...that's why you see the improved RON at pumps...and yes, an also fact is that the levels of sulfur in the finished fuel is reduced by dilution.

Another simple fact is that all of the HC based fuels currently have 50ppm sulfu as the upper limit, making premium just as "dirty" in the sulfur stakes...and the plan is to lower it in those grades anyway...

So by banning "regular", using "dirty sulfur" (which they plan to reduce in all of the other non ethanol grades anyway), they get E10 as the baseline, and the likes of Manildra continue pumping money into the coffers.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/prog...nations/7368734

 

[JHZR2]

In diesels, sulfur with dual aromatic rings attached (benzothiophenes and dibenzothiophenes) created eutectics with metals in fuel pumps and aided in lubricity.

In gas engines I dont believe the sulfur species, which are much less complex chemically, serve that sort of function. Injection systems are obviously much different.

Getting sulfur out of gasoline is good - its good to get it out of any fuel.

If the anti-NOx crowd didnt call the shots, lean stratofied charge, more power, better operations, and with low sulfur, great TBN retention would be viable.