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Re: Interesting Article on Ethanol [message #369124 is a reply to message #369097] Wed, 16 March 2022 10:13 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Matt Colie is currently offline  Matt Colie   United States
Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan
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Senior Member
That article is interesting, but it is at least disingenuous.

Comparing a Styrofoam coffee cup to fuel system components is about the worst comparison I have ever read.

Up close to that is blaming the hydrocarbons in modern "motorfuel" for this when those things have been included since the 120 octane avgas of WWII. A real health issue was found to be centered around the tetra-ethyl lead that was both an anti-wear and a octane booster. I don't miss that at all. It was real good at fouling spark plugs. It was so bad that even aviation fuel reduced the lead content as soon as replacements were found.

A very practical matter is that almost all materials will absorb some of what ever they are in contact with for any period. This is very apparent when working with elastomers and plastics of any kind. Many parts in the category can show actual dimensional changes. Frequently elastomers (rubber like stuff) can show physical property changes with some exposure. It was my personal experience that exposure to these things could be cumulative. Note I said COULD BE. Something interesting that we learned in one project that was an attempt to make a passcar run on anything from straight pump gas to neat methanol was that this cumulative effect was indeed cumulative when you worked with both polar (like alcohol and water) and non-polar (like most hydrocarbons). Making something resistant to one of those was much easier than making something that was resistant or stable with both. In that program, we ended up with a fuel system that was entirely stainless steel or a high grade of Teflon. Nothing else would survive. Toward the end of the program, a supplier showed up with a new grade of "Nylon" that was capable. If you notice, most new vehicles have a lot of some kind of plastic in the fuel system.

I could go on about the direct damage that I saw from alcohols, but I have a coach in the barn that needs attention before the salt gets washed off the roads around here.

Matt

Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

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