| Ethanol/E10 |
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New Fuel Is Arriving at Pumps Across the Country The sale of ethanol blended fuel, commonly referred to as E10 gas, is on the rise in the US as more
 states are mandating it's use to help improve air quality. Also promoting the growth of E10 is the need to phase out the current additive MTBE which has been found to contaminate ground water supplies. E10 gas has been in use for many years and with smart fuel management boaters can learn to live with it.
The first problems encountered with transitioning to E10 is the loosening of sludge from the fuel tanks. Ethanol is a very effective solvent and it will attack varnish, gum, and resins: the sludge that can build up in fuel tanks. Once cleaned off the fuel tank walls this build up leads to poor performance and frequently clogged fuel filters and injectors. The enzymes in Star Tron® will safely break down and disperse this sludge. After a filter change or two the fuel tanks will be clean and boaters can move on the next, more serious, ethanol related issue...
 Ethanol has a great affinity for water, and will attract moisture from the atmosphere through the vented lines of a marine fuel tank. The water molecules form an electro-chemical bond with the ethanol that is stronger than the fuel’s original bond with the ethanol. Water is heavier then gas so the water/ethanol molecule is dragged to the bottom of the tank and separates from the more buoyant fuel molecules. This is referred to as phase separation and occurs when the water content in the fuel reaches roughly .5%. Ethanol provides a significant boost to the octane rating of the fuel, so when phase separation occurs you end up with a corrosive water/ethanol layer on the bottom of the tank, under what is now substandard fuel.
In a boat that is being used regularly, Star Tron® prevents most phase separation that occurs from daily condensation. By neutralizing the electrical charges between water molecules in a process called de-ionization, Star Tron® prevents the water molecules from forming huge clusters, large enough to form drops, and settle, taking the ethanol with it. The octane rating and the combustion characteristics of the gas are protected, and the suspended water molecules are harmlessly burned along with the fuel. In order to understand this process, start by understanding that water does not exist in nature as its textbook single molecule, (H2O). Water consists of hundreds of water molecules bound together in huge “macro-clusters” which are much larger than a fuel molecule. Star Tron®’s enzymes break the electric bonding that holds these macro-clusters together, reducing the molecular size of the water cluster sufficiently to where microscopic amounts are suspended harmlessly in the gas.
A new breed of fuel additives has recently cropped up to capitalize on ethanol-blended fuel problems. These additives are known as emulsifiers. Ironically, some of them are made of ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, or one of the many alcohol cousins. Some emulsifying products will use chemicals such as “ethanolamides” (or anolamides), which are basically just common detergents.
Alcohol has been used by boating consumers for years to “dry” out gas, but that was when gas was all gas. E10 already has a huge amount of alcohol in it, and adding more can cause operational problems and increase the water problem. Adding additional alcohol can also violate the EPA regulations on limits of oxygenates (alcohol) allowed in the fuel, as well as the ASTM fuel specifications. The EPA sets those limits to prevent damage to the engine. Today, all engine manufacturers have certified their new engines on a maximum of 10% ethanol. Any additive taking the fuel over 10% alcohol may void your warranty.
Why You Want to Avoid Emulsifiers Water In The Engine Causes Many Problems Bonding Water To Gas Causes More Problems Than It Solves This is just the effect the wetted fuel has. The real harm comes during combustion. The earliest reference to experiments with gasoline and water emulsifications (water chemically bonded to an oil is called an emulsification) we know of is 1913. Every few years since then, somebody thinks they have invented the solution to eliminate water from fuel by adding an emulsifying chemical to gasoline. General Motors conducted a lot of research back in the 1970s, and more attempts were conducted for a few years after that. Each time, the deleterious effects of water/gas emulsions outweighesd any benefits.
Water emulsions immediately increase the fuel’s viscosity. Even “micro-emulsions”, that look to be clear and stable as opposed to the milky look we generally associate with oil/water emulsions still thickens the fuel. Thickened fuel can destroy a fuel pump and fuel injector. The ASTM specifications for fuel viscosity are very tight, and thickening the fuel with water can take the fuel outside its specifications, which will void your warranty. How thick is thick? You can’t tell in the field by looking, unless the emulsification has turned to gel, which it can do if overdosed. A boater can not be expected to dose with an emulsifier, for a water level he can’t assess, and be certain his fuel is still in spec.
Emulsifiers Cause Excess Carbon Buildup Because the emulsified water lowers the flame temperature in the combustion chamber the combustion efficiency is greatly reduced and the unburned hydrocarbons soar. This forms carbon deposits in the engine, especially on the piston crowns and on the spark plugs. Further, in the General Motors tests, (SAE 760547, Water-Gasoline Fuels, Their Effect on Spark Ignition Engines Emissions andPerformance, Peters and Stebar) the deposit buildup was so rapid that the engine had to be disassembled for cleaning approximately every 20 hours. Additionally, they found shiny black deposits linked to the emulsifier. They noted the spark plugs were coated black and appeared wet. Drivability plummeted as well, and fuel economy suffers in a direct ratio to how much water is in the fuel. All effects were increased as the water level increases. GM abandoned their efforts with water in gasoline, as have many others over the years. They also noted in the GM study they never even bothered to investigate the lubricity issues or long-term engine durability, because the performance characteristics were so bad. Star Tron®’s various enzymes in fact de-emulsify water, which is exactly what you want for contaminated fuel. The advantage to removing water in microscopic amounts is that our enzyme technology is totally harmless to an engine and does not change the ASTM specifications for fuel. Star Tron® will not remove water from a glass jar but it will remove the water layer in an operational boat.
The real Star Tron® advantage goes beyond just how it eliminates water, or even how it cleans up sludge. Star Tron® is also a combustion catalyst, improving emissions, including reducing carbon monoxide, while it increases power and fuel economy. Star Tron® cleans out combustion chamber carbon deposits, reducing an engine's octane demand and eliminating engine knock, as well as cleaning the entire fuel system. Star Tron® disperses bacteria, breaks down and safely disperses sludge, varnish, and gum, and outperforms conventional chemical-based gas stabilizers because Star Tron® not only prevents new fuel from aging (gasoline can be stabilized for one year), it can bring back stale fuel. And no product can compete with the cost effectiveness of Star Tron®.
Also Check out: ETHANOL 101 PDF |
