Protect Your Engines From Alcohol Fuel Damage!
ALCOHOL FUEL TEST KITS:
Tests fuel for alcohol and water content. Inexpensive. Re-usable. Simple. Easy. Accurate. Fast!
Simple, easy, accurate. Mix small amounts water and fuel from pump or tank into the test tube included, shake to mix the contents. Wait a few minutes until settled. An increase in the amount of water on the gauge indicates that alcohol is present in the fuel. The gauge will also indicate the percentage of alcohol. Test Kit Instructions.
Alcohol Fuel Test Kit Information - FUELTESTERS Contact Information
At present, most gasoline stations have switched to ethanol-blended fuels, replacing MTBE, for oxygenating fuel.
The gas pumps are not required to disclose that gasoline contains ethanol alcohol! View State Ethanol Labeling Laws.
Ethanol is an Alcohol Fuel...
Ethanol is an alcohol renewable fuel, made from corn or grains, which is used to oxygenate gasoline fuel at the pumps. See About Ethanol Fuels & Ethanol History
Ethanol is hygroscopic (will absorb water), and is an excellent solvent (dissolves materials).
Due to ethanol's affinity for water, phase separation and water contamination occurs very quickly.
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Ethanol Fuels:
Shelf Life - Expiration
An Alcohol Fuel Test Kit will give you the data you need to keep engines safe with E10 gasoline.
Do you really know how "fresh" the gas is at the pump?
Gas Expiration - Ethanol Blend Fuels Have a Short Shelf Life
Important E10 Ethanol Fuel Information:
Ethanol alcohol fuel blends have a shelf life of only 90-100 days, under ideal environmental conditions.
When exposed to excess water or when they contain a higher alcohol content, they will expire much sooner.
Studies report that only 1 tablespoon of water/per gallon will cause fuel to contaminate/separate!
If you are not monitoring or "testing" your gas for alcohol and water content, we recommend replacement of gas in your fuel tank at least every 2-3 weeks to avoid alcohol and water related engine problems.
Fuel-Testers, a division of MLR Solutions www.fueltestkit.com - Copyright 2006-2008 - All Rights Reserved.
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Several factors affect the shelf life of ethanol blend gasolines.
The public has not been properly educated in this major change in gas shelf life. It is unfortunate that recent government laws, mandating a switchover to ethanol-blend renewable fuels, did not include requirements for public education on how to manage ethanol-blend fuels.
Even many gas stations owners, do not realize that E10 is expired (bad fuel) after about 90 days from the date ethanol was added to the gasoline.
Gasoline blends without ethanol, have a shelf life of several years.
All gas supplied to the public contains preservatives - But this perservatives and stabilizers do almost nothing to prevent water contamination of E10.
Foolishly, many consumers are adding extra "additives" to their gas tanks that sometimes deceptively claim they will prevent ethanol water absorption - No product/additive with this capability exists.
Several additives/products may help with the undesireable side effects, due to ethanol chemical properties (drying agent, solvent, etc.) - But, no product exists that will prevent water absorption of alcohol.
All alcohols have a natural affinity for water. By nature, they attract and absorb moisture.
Whether or not the alcohol is in a medical, cleanser, beverage or fuel - All alcohols attract water.
It's the "water absorbing" properties that makes ethanol gas most problematic and difficult to manage.
- Petroleum does not blend with water.
Therefore, when excess water enters fuel supply, gasoline will phase separate.
- Phase-separated gas is contaminated and should never be used in engines.
Not only does separated fuel create obvious problems, (E.G. poor performance and release of water into engine) when phase seperation of the water level is introduced into engine; Water in fuel distorts the hundreds of other ingredients that gasoline contains.
- Water-contaminated and phase-seperated fuel will experience a drop in octane.
Click here for information on OCTANE of ethanol fuel blends.
Ethanol's Water Absorbing Qualities
- Ethanol gasoline is hygroscopic (will absorb water) and can absorb 50 times more water than conventional non-alcohol gasoline.
- Phase separation occurs in E10 gas, when only 0.5% water or 3.8 teaspoons water per gallon of fuel is absorbed.
At 70 degrees Fahrenheit, conventional (non-alcohol) gasoline can dissolve up to 150 parts per million (ppm) water.
The situation is different for gasoline oxygenated with 10 % volume ethanol...
The ethanol blend can dissolve much more water, up to 6000-7000 ppm.
When this blend is cooled, both the water and some of the ethanol become insoluble.
Phase Separation
With the process of phase separation, two layers of liquid are visible.
An upper ethanol-deficient gasoline layer and a lower ethanol-rich (up to 75% ethanol) water layer.
It occurs because ethanol is completely soluble in water but only marginally soluble in hydrocarbons...
After phase separation, the gasoline layer will have a lower octane number. The fuel also is less volatile.
Precautions
When using fuels that contain alcohol/ethanol, special precautions are necessary to prevent contamination by water.
The amount of ethanol blended in at the pumps, is not closely monitored.
The ethanol is not added at the major refineries - Usually it is the delivery truck driver who adds the ethanol to fuel supply.
Checking that gasoline meets safe and legal alcohol guidelines (10% or lower), seems recommended, until more stringent and protective laws are passed.
With the knowledge on how ethanol behaves a few necessary precautions and careful monitoring, you should have no problem using E10 gasoline in most gas-powered engines.
Refilling often, with high quality, fresh gasoline, is the best measure you can take to deal with the low shelf life and high risk of water contamination, present when using E10 and other alcohol fuel blends.
The chemical name of ETHANOL is C2H5OH. Chemically pure ethanol is a colorless liquid which looks like water but has a mild odor.
Gasoline is a refined product of petroleum crude oil, consisting of a mixture of hydrocarbons, additives, blending agents, preservatives, stabilizers, dyes and more.
Depending on the blend of gasoline, this mixture contains between 150 - 1000 different compounds/ingredients.
Check your STATE ETHANOL LABELING LAWS
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