ethanol free gasoline--not the usual question

I was looking on a web site that shows where you can buy ethanol free gasoline. They are few and far between. I am wondering where they get it. Doesn't look like enough stations anywhere for a supplier to keep it. Now I wonder if those few stations really have ethanol free gas. Maybe the place where the tanker trucks fill, all the gas is all ethanol free and the ethanol is added there???? Something doesn't add up here about the ethanol free gas.-------Same goes for the E-85 except in reverse. I haven't saw e-85 at any station in a long time but they still sell cars that use it.

ldj...I've been told that the ethanol (in the proper amount) is put into the truck first and the gas is then added. They call this "splash blending".

(quoted from post at 15:02:19 11/24/13) I was looking on a web site that shows where you can buy ethanol free gasoline. They are few and far between. I am wondering where they get it. Doesn't look like enough stations anywhere for a supplier to keep it. Now I wonder if those few stations really have ethanol free gas. Maybe the place where the tanker trucks fill, all the gas is all ethanol free and the ethanol is added there???? Something doesn't add up here about the ethanol free gas.-------Same goes for the E-85 except in reverse. I haven't saw e-85 at any station in a long time but they still sell cars that use it.

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ep, locally blended. Can't send E through pipelines, picks up too much water. Can't blend & let sit. Blend & use it, now!

(quoted from post at 14:02:19 11/24/13) Now I wonder if those few stations really have ethanol free gas.

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If you dont trust your gas source is really real gas, you can do a quick test to make sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd-iO1-ZCMo

I live in south-central Iowa and ethanol free gas is readily available at nearly all Casey's General Store (a convenience store chain) locations. The price is currently about 30 cents per gallon higher than ethanol blend gasoline. The octane rating is the same for both ethanol blend and ethanol free gas at 87. Premium grade gas (octane rating 91) is available also, ethanol free, I believe.

Ethanol free is pretty easy to find in Tennessee. Probably in at least 1/4 of the stations or more.

The refineries are now making a lower octane gasoline, and
blending it with ethanol, so I think it is difficult to find an
ethanol free gas of any quality of late? They can get more
gallons of lower grade gasoline per barrel of crude that way.

I wouldn't know, only one station in town says they have
ethanol free gas, most of us farmers avoid that place.....

E85 made a big push about 3 years ago here, you can find a
pump every 30 miles or so if you look, but I agree it just
doesn't catch on big, for all the vehicles around that would run
on it. Lot of folk,use a little bit in their tanks to make about an
E30 for there regular tanks.

Paul

But they are now adding at the refinery old wives tale n the water if the blend picks up water so will the unblended is there is suppoesed to be water in the pipeline

Gene,

People who actually know about this might correct me, but it is my understanding that plugs of water are used between batches of gasoline in the pipeline. Then, somehow, when the batch arrives at its destination, the water is drained off.

Correct? I'm not sure, but I think so.

Tom in TN

New Chemical May Pave Way for Ethanol Pipelines
Posted on July 26, 2010 by Joanna Schroeder


A new technology may aid in the development of pipeline infrastructure to move ethanol. MidContinental Chemical Company, Inc. has announced a new fuel ethanol additive designed to combat stress corrosion cracking (SCC) a problem that is inherent in shipping ethanol through pipelines. Today more than 100,000 miles of pipelines snake across the U.S. and deliver petroleum products including gasoline, diesel fuel, and home oil but not ethanol.

The ethanol industry has been pushing for an ethanol pipeline – the driving factor being the ability to transport fuel via pipeline offers lower transportation costs. Yet, fuel ethanol transportation and storage do have their challenges one of which is SCC, the slow growth of cracks along a pipeline that are caused by mechanical stress and exposure to corrosive material. Ultimately, SCC can lead to pipe rupture.

According to company materials, MCC’s new product family consists of film formers combined with other functional additives. These products are clear, non-hazardous, mobile liquids, that provide protection from corrosion and do not harm the fuel product. Phil Korosec, Technical Director at MidContinental Chemical Company, Inc., explained, “Our bench testing using ASTM G129 and other extensive tests on fuel ethanol under pipeline-like conditions indicate that fissuring and cracking can actually be halted, keeping harmful components of fuel ethanol from compromising the integrity of pipelines, without harming the ethanol.”

As more and more ethanol enters the fuel supply, in part due to the demand created by the Renewable Fuels Standard, the ethanol industry is searching for ways to transport the fuel at lower costs. Everett Osgood, Product Manager for Fuel and Renewable Fuel Additives with MCC concluded, “It’s estimated that transporting fuel ethanol in existing pipelines instead of by truck or rail can reduce transportation costs by up to 90% in some areas. That’s an enormous savings.”
Posted in Ethanol, Ethanol News

Have no problem finding E-Free gas here. Most
places have one pump with 87 e-free. Have some
scattered stations that sell all 3 grades e-free and
sell no ethanol gas at all.

JMOR, I do not speak from any knowledge of the subject at all, however I wonder what the effect of these "film formers" is on injectors of modern engines?

That is an old article Magellean announced last fall they were pumping from the refinery with lower octane and adding ethanol to raise it up here in the midwest.

I get mine at FS in Monticello, IL. Premium grade only.

Water is used as a separator between different grades of petroleum. The Ethanol is added at the terminal. It is old wives tale that the pipelines ship ethanol gas.

Was getting gas one day and a tanker was delivering. Have always
wondered about the "additive package" that you are SUPPOSED to
get, especially with name brand badge stations.

The driver told me he loaded x gallons of gasoline, and y gallons of
alcohol. On the additive package, THE RETAILER IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GUESS WHAT FOLKS.....PENNY FOR YOUR
THOUGHTS.

Mark

OK, thanks for all the answers. Now, this, makes my post question from "not the usual question" to the usual question. FIRST I was very surprised to hear ethanol isn't shipped in the pipeline because it damages the pipeline. If ethanol damages the pipeline I would think it would cause damage to a car or tractor, etc. using it.

buyrealgas.com Incase anyone is looking, heres some places searchable by map.

In southeast Iowa and west central Ill. all Casey gas has ethanol. May not say so on pump, but it does. My small engines can verify that.

I was surprised to read that too. The only thing I knew about alcohol was that it would scour, loosen, and pick up sludge from any surface.
My supplier has a 10000 gal. tank which has held nothing but gasoline since it was new. He said the first ten wheel truck load of ethanol they hauled in from the terminal melted a lot of sludge and carried it to the bottom of that tank. They rigged up extra filters, pumped out their tank, and got in there and shoveled barrels of sludge out.
The alcohol is trucked to the terminal. Stored in large tanks, and is injected into the line of gas as my dealer loads his trucks. He says he has no choice in the matter. Yet there are more and more stations around here advertising alcohol free gas. I don't understand that, as I thought the law was alcohol free gas was strictly for "recreational", or basically, off road use.

(quoted from post at 05:33:52 11/25/13) Water is used as a separator between different grades of petroleum. The Ethanol is added at the terminal. It is old wives tale that the pipelines ship ethanol gas.

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Never heard my wife talking about it

Ethanol and other alcohols are hydrophilic and will readily take on free water from any source, including the atmosphere. I fly model airplanes and we use methanol for fuel in some of our engines ("glow" engines). I am familiar with the problems that alcohol fuels can cause. To prevent methanol from taking on large percentages of water, we are careful to always seal our fuel jugs. This water does not seriously degrade the performance of our engines, however, it does promote corrosion. We usually fog our engines with an "after run oil" after use, and some engines come with stainless steel ball bearings on the crankshaft to minimize corrosion problems.
However, the big issue for tractor people is storage in the tractor and in other unsealed containers. There is a good reason that all of the new gas cans are plastic and have an annoying air tight valve in the neck.

MN has about 20 farmer-owned ethanol plants. Can you imagine the logistical nightmare of having pipelines snaking away from each of them, going to various terminals? So it goes by rail to terminals.

re E85 at retail stations- it can cost over $100,000 to install an extra tank and pump.

btw- I filled with E85 this morning- it was 82 cents UNDER E10 price. Been using E85 for over ten years, two different vans. We are dollars ahead even at a 40 cent margin, after considering the lower mileage.