You say you have a question. Excuse me, but what's your question?
Ethanol as an oxygenate and ethanol as an octane booster are two different things. Totally unrelated, really.
Lead was used as an octane booster, true. But adding lead is not the only way to boost octane. The fact that premium unleaded gas exists is evidence of that. Lead-free gas was introduced because car manufacturers needed to use catalytic converters to meet emissions requirements. Leaded gas was eliminated when it was recognized that people living close to freeways had much more lead in their bodies than those who didn't.
MTBE was used both as an octane booster and as on oxygenate. The reason for oxygenated fuels is to reduce emissions, not to raise octane. Many states required oxygenated fuels, and the most vialble alternatives were MTBE and ethanol. But MTBE has a nasty habit of contaminating groundwater, so no more MTBE.
Without MTBE, if you have to have oxygenated fuels you're pretty much stuck with ethanol, if for no other reason than it's available. The reason we have ethanol production has less to do with its suitability as a fuel additive and more to do with politics, but years of subsidies have built up a huge ethanol infrastructure that's not going to disappear overnight.
That ethanol boosts octane is a bonus, but secondary to its use as an oxygenate. If the requirement for oxygenated fuels went away, the demand for ethanol would significantly decrease. But right now, petroleum distributors are required to produce oxygenated fuels, and ethanol is the simplest way to do it.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - An Old-Time Tractor Demonstration - by Kim Pratt. Sam was born in rural Kansas in 1926. His dad was a hard-working farmer and the children worked hard everyday to help ends meet. In the rural area he grew up in, the highlight of the week was Saturday when many people took a break from their work to go to town. It was on one such Saturday in the early 1940's when Sam was 16 years old that he ended up in Dennison, Kansas to watch a demonstration of a new tractor being put on by a local dealer. It was an Allis-Chalmers tractor dealership,
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
Sell 1958 Hi-Altitude Massey Fergerson tractor, original condition. three point hitch pto engine, Runs well, photos available upon request
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
