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Poster Presentation 5-16
Development of High-Compatibility Biobased Octane for Gasoline
Ted R. Aulich, Edwin S. Olson and Ronald R. Timpe
Energy & Environmental Research Center P.O. Box 9018 Grand Forks,ND 58202-9018
Telephone: (701) 777-2982; Fax: (701) 777-5181; Email: taulich@undeerc.org
Ethanol is an excellent source of clean octane for gasoline and is not generally thought to represent a human health hazard, but it is not an ideal gasoline additive. When added to gasoline at concentrations of 5 to 10 volume percent, it raises the Reid vapor pressure (Rvp) of the resulting blend by about 1.0 to 1.5 pounds per square inch (psi) over that of the base gasoline. Ethanol also has a higher affinity for water than gasoline, which can lead to ethanol separation from gasoline in the presence of water. An ideal octane supply would be renewable, have zero affinity for water, and effect an Rvp reduction on addition to a base gasoline, which would enable utilization of fuels with higher butane levels. The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) recently evaluated a series of oxygenates for use as gasoline octane providers, including esters made from ethanol and fermentation-derived carboxylic acids, and mixtures of 3- 4- and 5-carbon alcohols derivable from ethanol and methanol utilizing a modified "Guerbet" reaction process. Several of these materials were shown to perform well as gasoline additives and warrant economic evaluation for commercial application, especially in light of recent advancements in methods of their production.
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