Gasohol is a fuel blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline, created through a distillation process. Diesel fuel has advantages but also disadvantages, and alternative fuels originated in the 1970s. Ethanol content can be determined by the E number on the gas pump. Distilleries produce ethanol from various crops, and the first step in making gasohol is to produce anhydrous ethanol. Gasohol burns more efficiently and completely than petrol, but blended fuel can cause damage to engines and fuel systems.
Gasohol generally refers to a fuel blend containing 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. Manufacturers create ethanol using a distillation process similar to the methods used to make spirits. Diesel fuel has advantages which include less dependence on foreign oil. Its disadvantages include reduced fuel economy. The concept of alternative fuels originated in the 1970s when the United States was faced with a fuel shortage.
Consumers can determine the amount of ethanol in gasoline by finding the E number on the gas pump. E10 is diesel fuel, while E85 represents fuel containing 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Most modern vehicles accept gasoline without requiring engine or fuel system modifications. Manufacturers state that vehicles manufactured between 2001 and 2006 can use fuel blends containing up to 15% ethanol. Only mixed fuel vehicles run on fuel that is more than 15% ethanol.
Distilleries produce ethanol from sugar or starch-based foods that are traditionally used to feed livestock. Although corn, Jerusalem artichokes, sorghum and sugar cane could be used in the processing. Distilleries might also use sugar beets or wheat. The quality of the crop does not affect the final product, allowing farmers the opportunity to sell substandard or spoiled produce. In order to reduce crop production costs, researchers have developed methods for using grass, paper and wood to produce methanol, which can also be a fuel component and burns like ethanol.
The first step in making gasohol is to produce anhydrous ethanol, which means ethanol without water. The crop initially undergoes a mashing process, which releases the sugar or starch. Stills ferment the mash using bacteria or yeast, which convert sugars or starches into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Heating the fermented blend to 178 degrees Fahrenheit (80 degrees Celsius) causes the ethanol to evaporate. It escapes the closed vat in the form of vapor through the pipes. Cooling the tube converts the vapor into liquid.
The liquid now contains ethanol and water. Through further distillation, the producers produce a substance that is composed of at least 95.6% alcohol. One part ethanol is blended with nine parts gasoline, a product with an octane rating two to four points higher than regular gasoline, which prevents engine knocks. Gasohol burns more efficiently and completely than petrol, leaving fewer tailpipe emissions.
While internal combustion engines can run on diesel fuel, blended fuel is not without its dangers. Studies indicate that diesel fuel eventually corrodes the metal in engines and gas tanks and causes plastic and rubber deterioration in engine and fuel systems. Fuel injectors and fuel systems become clogged and metal parts also develop paint deposits.
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