The Ethanol Papers - Paperturn manuscript - Flipbook - Page 404
But, okay, I'm happy to take you by the hand through the information.
1. You use the word "damage," but by itself, it's a meaningless word. What
damage are you referring to? Internal combustion engines operate on thousands of small explosions per minute, regardless of the type of fuel being used.
The explosions eventually "damage" the engine. Ethanol does not cause explosions that are any worse than gasoline or diesel fuel. In fact, in higher compression internal combustion engines (such as those found in cars and trucks), gasoline without ethanol or another anti-knock ingredient will knock the engine
apart. Now that's damage.
The issue that you are probably referring to is the three complaints typically
made about ethanol-gasoline fuel blends. The first is that the ethanol causes
sludge, tar, gunk, goo, crap (or whatever you want to call it) to appear in the
fuel tank, thereby clogging the filter, spark plugs, fuel injectors, carburetors, etc.
The second complaint is that the ethanol corrodes the rubber hoses and some
metal parts.
The third is that the ethanol in the fuel-blend magically sucks water right out of
the air and drops it in your fuel tank, thereby causing some type of water-related
problem.
Of the three, I'd say that the first - "the sludge quagmire" is the most often heard,
so I'll begin here.
To get to the bottom of this issue, basic questions must be asked:
Question #1 - Does sludge/goo/gunk/crap form in an internal combustion engine? The answer is yes.
Question #2 - Is the sludge/goo/gunk/crap because of ethanol? The answer is
no; it is because of the gasoline and oil used in the fuel.
While ethanol is a fuel, it is also a very effective solvent. Solvents are used to
clean and remove the residue and deposits left after a substance has been
used, such as the residue and deposits left after gasoline and/or oil is burned.
Gasoline is also a solvent, but it's not as effective a solvent as ethanol. Gasoline
and petroleum oil products are, however, very effective in leaving residue. They
are champs in leaving behind deposits.
