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Octane
Hi Guys, now your in my neighborhood. Living in central Illinois, being a farmer and as the past Product Manager for Ethanol at Tate & Lyle, who owned A. E. Staley manufacturing which had an ethanol plant in Loudon, Tn. I know almost everything there is to know about ethanol. Ethanol has higher octane, but lower BTUs. That is confusing for most people. What it means is that the CONTROL of the explosion caused by compression and spark is better with ethanol than without. But, because of the lower BTUs you get less mileage with ethanol than with gas without ethanol.
Actually, if the manufacturers would program the cars computers to optimize ethanol fuels, there woiuld be no drop off of mileage. But, since ethanol fuels are not available everywhere, the auto manufacturers have not created such a program.
Ethanol is high Octane. Gasoline marketers (note the difference in Gasoline Refiners, buy ethanol because it helps them meet the EPA clean air requirements, or because it add octane to bring lower octane gas up to a higher standard. At a minimum it extends the domestic gas supply.
Many of the problems associated with the product (ethanol blended gasoline) are actually a result a blending with substandard gasoline in an effort to bring that gas up to standard.
Of course everyone knows that Indycar racing uses ethanol. Right? I bet not.
Having said all that however, it IS hard on older cars rubber gaskets and seals that come in contact with fuel.
Any octane above 93 is rarely available in the mass market. So, all the discussion about those products in mute. I will admit that 93 octane gasoline made without ethanol is a better product.
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