def38
Platinum Member
Most of the world has been adding oxygenates to gasoline motor fuel for decades. The most popular was MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether), derived from natural gas and considerably cheaper than ethanol to produce. The benefits of oxygenates in motor fuel are obvious and have positive environmental impact and increase fuel octane values. However, the switch from MTBE to ethanol were mostly political and non-scientific. It was found that gas stations and to some extent haulers were contaminating drinking water with MTBE. Leaking fuel tanks at gas stations were (and still are) allowing fuel to seep into the surrounding soil where it eventually finds its way into ground water. Many complained that their water tasted like turpentine, a result of the MTBE fuel leaks from old underground fuel tanks.
Rather than fix leaking fuel tanks, the politicians, dumb and greedy as they are, successfully lobbied to change the oxygenate from MTBE to methanol and huge ethanol facilities were constructed with the resulting condemnation of MTBE. Of course, the auto industry had to change elastomer seals, O-rings and other components to tolerate the ethanol, not a small undertaking. Much of the world still choose to use MTBE as the oxygenate in their motor fuel because it works, it is cheap and has none of the issues with souring with age like methanol fuels do.
Here in the US, our fate is likely sealed as long as we blend fuels with oxygenates and vote for politicians that have no earthly idea about what is scientifically and economically correct.
