Fuel Grade Ethanol Standards in the United States
In the United States a number of federal agencies are involved in regulating liquid transportation fuels. These include the U. S.
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Table16.1 Common corrosion inhibitors used in ethanol-blended gasoline.
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and agencies such as the Divisions of Weights and Measures. These organizations are accountable for protection of the environment as well as protection of the consumer, ensuring the quality of the product. The customer requires at a minimum that the quality of the products meet American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications. The ASTM maintains the approved written analytical standard specifications and procedures for assuring that fuel grade ethanol meets the performance requirements for today’s marketplace.
Fuel grade ethanol ASTM standards are important to customers as well as engine manufacturers and automakers to produce quality automobiles, and also in maintaining the miles per gallon (MPG) standards of their vehicles. The ASTM International Committee D02 on Petroleum Products and Lubricants is responsible for drafting and maintaining the standard specifications governing the quality of fuel ethanol. This committee is made up of interested parties representing the auto manufacturers, gasoline refiners, ethanol producers, laboratory personnel, government agencies and consumers. The ASTM’s work is never over; there are periodic reviews of existing standards as well as issues that arise that cause the need to change the standards. The current ASTM D 4806 United States standards are shown in Table 16.2.
In addition to the properties covered in the above table, ASTM D4806 contains a workmanship statement, which states:
1. The denatured fuel ethanol shall be visually free of sediment and suspended matter.
2. It shall be clear and bright at the ambient temperature, or 21 °C, whichever is higher.
3. The product shall be free of any adulterant or contaminant that can render the material unacceptable for its commonly used applications.
For a more detailed discussion of the importance of these properties, refer to a copy of the specifications. Copies of ASTM D4806 and other ASTM specifications and standards may be obtained from: ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, W. Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, USA; Publication orders • phone (610) 832-9585 • fax (610) 8329555; Website: http://www. astm. org.
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Table 16.2 Current ASTM D 4806 standard specifications for denatured fuel ethanol for blending with gasoline for use as automotive spark — ignition engine fuel.
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