EPA relaxes waiver on methanol/gasoline blends

Journal Article · Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Pace Synth. Fuels Rep.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6278608

The US Environmental Protection Agency removed a restrictive evaporative index requirement on the Clean Air Act waiver which had been granted to E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company. On January 17, 1985, EPA granted DuPont a waiver to produce an unleaded gasoline/methanol blend, which contains 5% methanol and 2.5% cosolvent alcohols, provided producers did not exceed an evaporative index designed to limit the release of vapors to the atmosphere. The reconsideration came after a petition by the Oxygenated Fuels Association (OFA) and after EPA reexamined the relevant data. Originally EPA said it did not think the ASTM Standard D439 was acceptable for controlling the volatility of the methanol blend, because most gasoline being sold actually had a lower volatility. EPA's more recent information, however, shows that volatility levels in commercial gasoline have been rising and are near ASTM's D439 standard. Therefore, applying the ASTM standard to the DuPont blend will mean that evaporative emissions from vehicles using the DuPont blend will be no higher than those from vehicles using other gasolines. Other conditions of the waiver are discussed. These include the use of specific corrosion inhibitors, and 99.85% purity level of methanol. 1 table.

• OSTI ID: 6278608
• Journal Information: Pace Synth. Fuels Rep.; (United States), Vol. 23:4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
GASOHOL
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
CORROSION INHIBITORS
EVAPORATION
IMPURITIES
METHANOL
UNLEADED GASOLINE
ALCOHOLS
FUELS
GASOLINE
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
LIQUID FUELS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
REGULATIONS
500600* - Environment
Atmospheric- Regulations- (-1989)
294001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Coal
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
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