What’s the Deal with Ethanol in Gasoline?

More than 98% of U.S. gasoline contains ethanol, and the current EPA just green-lit new requirements that will increase that amount moving forward. Except, ethanol can actually cause damage to an engine. So, why is it in the nation’s gasoline supply? And what can you do to mitigate any harmful effects?

Most folks don’t know that using Ethanol (or Ethyl-Alcohol) as a derivative product dates way back to the 17th Century. As an organic fuel, the product appeared in 1826, and subsequently became popular as a cheap ‘lamp oil’ during the 1850s. That is, until people also realized they could imbibe it as a corn-based liquor.

Unfortunately, the latter ‘who-hit-John’ application came to the attention of the Federal Government, who then proceeded to tax the product in order help fund the Civil War.

As an engine fuel variant, specifically, ethanol has a similarly long history.

Our friends across the pond used ethanol to power four-cycle internal combustion engines designed by German engineer Nicolaus Otto as early as 1876. Here in the states, the product didn’t reemerge as a domestic option until Congress got around to repealing the ‘corn tax’ in the early 1900s. Subsequently, Henry Ford initially decided to use comparatively inexpensive ethanol to power his Model T’s straight-4 engine in 1908.

However, between the turn of the century and the early 1970s, ethanol was largely dormant as an engine fuel due to plentiful supplies of raw/refined oil. Its long sleep ended with the rise of political-environmental interest in mitigating various OPEC oil price shocks, in addition to the elimination of lead-based Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) as a carbon-driven oxygenate.

From that point on, and regardless of political party, ethanol has always been part of the regulatory fabric of the U.S. energy sector. As a matter of fact, ethanol became a core element when the first ‘Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) passed in 2005.

Subsequently, an updated RFS in the form of the ‘Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007’, called for a production rate of up to 33 billion gallons annually. Further production rules enhancements followed this secondary policy in 2012, leading to increasingly deeper ethanol involvement.

What Is Ethanol?

In simple terms, ethanol is a biomass product. As suggested earlier, the fuel variant comes from sugar starch derived from corn stocks. Today, however, these affiliated starches can also come from other starch-based plants including sugar beets, cane, and even rendered meat in some events.

To produce industrial ethanol, corn is milled into a fine meal, slurried with water into a mash, and then fermented into ethanol through a special distillation process. According to the Renewable Fuels Association and U.S. Department of Agriculture data, one bushel of processed corn (about 56 pounds) yields roughly 2.9 gallons of denatured fuel ethanol. (It also creates co-products, like grain for animal feed.)

Rationale For Ethanol In Blended Gasoline

Currently, blended gasoline exists as a ratio of 10% Ethanol v. Gasoline. As a consequence of the elimination of lead-based MTBEs, gasoline octane numbers significantly reduced. Octane relates to fuel stability, and the chemical moment when the fuel ignites.

The higher the octane rating, the higher the pressure at which fuel ignition occurs. In the past, when lead was part of fuel blends, at-large octane was generally higher. However, leaded gasoline has been linked to heart and liver disease – not to mention lower IQ levels. As the nation switched to a safer alternative, something was needed to keep engines running smoothly, particularly given the emergence of smaller, higher-compression engine variants.

As a practical matter, the no-lead decision created impacts ranging from reductions in compression, to various other irregularities associated with the combustion cycle including incomplete combustion (i.e., detonation) and component degradation within the fuel system. Because ethanol vapors are highly combustible, the chemical work-around was introduced in order to recover part of what was being lost.

What Negative Impacts Apply To Ethanol?

The process of creating ethanol involves the introduction of water during its final process. As a result, the final blended fuel product – i.e., the ratio of 10% ethanol versus 90% gasoline – harbors water, even though the final fuel has been blended and introduced within an engine.

That means, unless one is paying proper attention, harbored water can saturate the ethanol mix and cause it to separate from the fuel’s gasoline base. If this occurs, the separated “fuels” can damage an engine system significantly.

Direct damage can look like:

• Corrosion in fuel tanks
• Rust in the fuel system
• Irregular clag or debris clogging in the fuel system
• Varnish in the fuel system
• Failure of the fuel to ignite

Any of these negative elements may find themselves involved in an engine’s combustion train, such as valves, rockers, springs, pistons, EFI, carburetor, injectors, hose plumbing etc.

How Do You Mitigate the Negative Impacts Of Ethanol?

Thankfully, fuels manufacturers and aftermarket oils/lubricants producers are aware of the problem, and are able to offer a number of ways to reduce the potential of fuel separation.

The most common solution involves the introduction of consumer-delivered E10, E15 and E85 fuels that are specifically formulated to stop separation, while also treating effective components to reduce the potential of corrosion throughout the fuel system, and protecting the overall combustion complex.

The blended fuel approach is particularly effective for late model vehicles since most brand manufacturers have been designing ethanol-derived engines since the mid-80s. However, there are some exceptions, and for those folks, there are great aftermarket solutions to help with the problem.

Lucas Safeguard™ Ethanol Fuel Conditioner with Stabilizers

While no product can completely remove ethanol from blended gasoline, treatments like Lucas Safeguard Ethanol Fuel Conditioner with Stabilizers can help prevent and treat the corrosion and performance inhibition caused by ethanol.

This product is entirely fuel soluble, and doesn’t cause any problems with filters or affiliated components. It cleans injectors, valve seats, combustion chambers and overall fuel components, while also serving as a fuel stabilizer that mitigates varnish and/or gum that might occur with ethanol-derived fuels. Finally, the product treats engine oil lubricants to block any damage produced by alcohol combustion.

In addition to using a quality ethanol treatment, there are some practical tips you can apply to support a hassle-free ethanol fuels experience.

• Run your engine regularly. Even if you’re not a daily-driver, take the time to run the engine. While there, allow the engine to reach normal operating temperature before shutting down.

• Keep your gas tank filled, or at least, 95% filled. This will reduce the potential of air entering the tank and triggering tank corrosion.

• Make sure you only buy fuel from major brand providers. Most reputable operators are concerned about the quality of their products. This is particularly evident when it involves ‘series fuels’ like E10, E15, E85.

• If you run a vehicle prior to 1985, check and replace any rubber hose components. Post-1985 hose systems are entirely compliant with the introduction of ethanol, but pre-1985 rubber compounds are not.

Again, the introduction of ethanol as a blend component within consumer fuels has added considerable utility and environmental sensitivity to ICE engines since the ‘70s. Today’s powerplants are designed for the use of ethanol, although even baked-in approaches to engine design still face seminal problems with formulization.

As a result, bear in mind that water of any kind inside an engine is the kiss of death and no one is perfect. But between the solid DIY checklist above and some Lucas Oil in your garage, you should stay on the road for many years.