Ethanol fuel

[Quillback]

I've tested the ethanol free gas I get here in AR - a couple of times- and it is indeed ethanol free.  If you have doubts, it's a real easy test to run.  

[snagged in outlet 3]

You can’t  sell ethanol free in the STL metropolitan area.  Against the law.  

[miket]

15 hours ago, Terrierman said:

Are you old enough to remember white gas?  

Yep! The only thing my Grandpa would burn in his Coleman lanterns. Learned from him and used it until it disappeared!

[Terrierman]

3 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

You can’t  sell ethanol free in the STL metropolitan area.  Against the law.  

Air quality.  Pesky danged environmentalists anyway.  That doesn't seem very productive though, given the price.  I'm sure it's mostly used in watercraft and small engines.  Wouldn't think that much would be sold.  I'm sure there's a long calculation with a lot of expensive assumptions included.

[Terrierman]

2 hours ago, miket said:

Yep! The only thing my Grandpa would burn in his Coleman lanterns. Learned from him and used it until it disappeared!

It's the original ethanol free unleaded.  Coleman fuel wasn't always sold in stores.

[fishinwrench]

8 hours ago, Quillback said:

I've tested the ethanol free gas I get here in AR - a couple of times- and it is indeed ethanol free.  If you have doubts, it's a real easy test to run.  

As I understand it.....All ethanol is alcohol, but not all alcohol is ethanol.   Therefore the advertised "ethanol free" fuel is not necessarily ALCOHOL free.     

 

[tjm]

White gas means different things in different places and in different times, basically  gasoline without any additives. Also called naphtha sometimes, which is another vague word.   Coleman fuel (octane rating of 50 to 55 ) is considered "white gas", it was originally drip gas, I believe but is now petroleum distillate (naphtha) . In this definition of "white", "white" means "clear" as in "white shellac" or "white whiskey". There was also "drip gas"  (natural gas condensate with an octane of 30-50) that was sometimes called 'white gas' and white gas that was sometimes called "drip gas".  Mom did all her own "dry cleaning" with white gas, we  often had it around in  the '50s; but by the early 1960s it was getting very scarce at least in Idaho,  usually only found in barrels rather than at the pump. My uncle and others used it in their camp stoves and lanterns as long as it was available at gas stations. Dad only used oil lanterns and we cooked on wood when we camped.

However, white gas would not burn well in modern high compression engines, and the higher octane 'premium' 'ethanol free' fuel is not white gas. Of course all gasoline starts out as 'white gas' in that as refined it has no additives.

There is a possibility that fuel could be ethanol free and still contain  rubbing alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol, but the octane rating would probably be lower, and the water test would show it; but methanol is highly corrosive and caries risk of engine damage, so is unlikely.

Like Quillback, I  have tested "non-ethanol" gas from several local sources and have never found them to contain any alcohol. At least none that mix with water.

[Quillback]

3 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

As I understand it.....All ethanol is alcohol, but not all alcohol is ethanol.   Therefore the advertised "ethanol free" fuel is not necessarily ALCOHOL free.     

 

The water test pulls out all alcohol, water binds to alcohol, it's a simple and foolproof test to detect any form of alcohol in gasoline.  

[Terrierman]

2 hours ago, tjm said:

White gas means different things in different places and in different times, basically  gasoline without any additives. Also called naphtha sometimes, which is another vague word.   Coleman fuel (octane rating of 50 to 55 ) is considered "white gas", it was originally drip gas, I believe but is now petroleum distillate (naphtha) . In this definition of "white", "white" means "clear" as in "white shellac" or "white whiskey". There was also "drip gas"  (natural gas condensate with an octane of 30-50) that was sometimes called 'white gas' and white gas that was sometimes called "drip gas".  Mom did all her own "dry cleaning" with white gas, we  often had it around in  the '50s; but by the early 1960s it was getting very scarce at least in Idaho,  usually only found in barrels rather than at the pump. My uncle and others used it in their camp stoves and lanterns as long as it was available at gas stations. Dad only used oil lanterns and we cooked on wood when we camped.

However, white gas would not burn well in modern high compression engines, and the higher octane 'premium' 'ethanol free' fuel is not white gas. Of course all gasoline starts out as 'white gas' in that as refined it has no additives.

There is a possibility that fuel could be ethanol free and still contain  rubbing alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol, but the octane rating would probably be lower, and the water test would show it; but methanol is highly corrosive and caries risk of engine damage, so is unlikely.

Like Quillback, I  have tested "non-ethanol" gas from several local sources and have never found them to contain any alcohol. At least none that mix with water.

Alcohol has a higher octane rating than gasoline.  Adding alcohol to gasoline = higher octane gas/alcohol mixture.

[tjm]

So the premium gas must have more alcohol than the E10?