Poulsen 1

Chad Poulsen
Mr. Ben Jorgensen
Writing 1010
August 3, 2014
The Dirty Truth about the Dirt in your Tank
Have you noticed it is nearly impossible to find a fuel pump without a sticker that says
May Contain up to 10% Ethanol? Have you ever wondered why those stickers have appeared?
What is ethanol and why is up to ten percent in gasoline? Are there benefits to using ethanol
fuels in your vehicle? The answer to all of these questions and more may come as a bit of a
surprise to you.
Since its widespread release around 2004, Ethanol has created problems in the food
industry, accelerated engine wear, and increased pollution levels. Ethanol was introduced as one
of many alternative fuel sources to decrease our dependence on foreign oil. As much as bio-fuels
help decrease our dependence on fossil fuels, consumption can have drawbacks that may not
have been seen clearly from the beginning.
The Environmental Protection Agency explains that ethanol became more common in
2005 when The Energy Policy Act was passed. Ethanol was used to replace Methyl Tertiary
Butyl Ether, or MTBE, which has been used to improve combustion in engines since 1979.
Ethanol gave many additional cleansing benefits and relieved some environmental concerns
found with MTBE. These environmental benefits made allowed ethanol to enter the market and
satisfy the renewable fuel standard set in place with the Energy Policy Act.
Howstuffworks.com explains that ethanol is an alcohol derived from many different
sources, such as corn in the United States. The corn is ground to a powder and mixed with water

Poulsen 2

and enzymes. The mixture is cooked to liquefy the corn and then cooled. Another enzyme is then
added to convert starch to sugar before it is left to ferment. Water is removed and gasoline is
added to make an environmentally friendly wonder fuel.
If only it were that simple to solve the problems that have so many outraged by our use of
fossil fuels. The truth is, the process to create this alternative fuel uses more fossil fuels than the
final product it produces. It takes approximately 1.3 gallons of oil to create a single gallon of
ethanol (Meigs). Not only that but the amount of corn required to make that gallon is also
staggering. It takes nearly 450 pounds of corn to produce enough ethanol to fill a 25-gallon gas
tank, or in other words, to fill an average sized half ton truck. Those 450 pounds of corn would
have enough calories to feed someone for an entire year if we did not utilize it in one tank of gas
(Suderman, The Ethanol Disaster).
The introduction of corn derived ethanol has affected food cost worldwide. This becomes
clear if you take a moment to see how many items we buy at the grocery store containing corn
products. We drive our precious SUVs powered by corn to buy more corn and expect the cost to
stay the same. This correlation can help us see how 20 to 40 percent of the global food price
increase was attributed to a higher reliance on bio-fuels in 2007 and 2008 (Suderman, The
Ethanol Disaster).
Another alternative found that would lessen the burden on the food market is cellosic
ethanol. This alternative uses non-living organics, such as corn stalks and weeds, to create biofuels. Has science really found the answer to all of our economic and environmental problems?
Unfortunately, no. Cellosic ethanol is hard to produce. The EPA projected that over 5 million
gallons of cellosic ethanol would be produced each year beginning in 2010. Refiners did not
produce any cellosic ethanol in 2010 and 2011 but they made up for those years with an

Poulsen 3

outstanding 20,069 gallons in 2012 (Martinson). Cellosic Ethanol was also found highly
pollutant as a federal government funded a study showed it produced about seven percent more
greenhouse gases than conventional gasoline (Suderman, New Study Finds That Even the Good
Kind of Ethanol is Terrible)
Another blow for ethanol alcohol as a fuel came from a study in So Paulo by Brazilian
economist Alberto Salvo and Franz Geiger both from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL.
Their findings showed that as more people used gasoline, ozone levels decreased by 20%, but
nitric acid and carbon monoxide emission levels increased. They found this by evaluating cost,
sales, consumer surveys, traffic congestion, and meteorological patterns. This study posted by
greencarcongress.com explains that ethanol is still far from perfect as a clean fuel source.
According to Fueltesters.com, ethanol works as a solvent, drying agent, and cleanser. All
of which sound like good things but the way it works can be another issue all together. As a
solvent and cleanser, ethanol can eat away at the black sludge that robs power and fuel economy
from your engine. It can also eat away at plastic, rubber, fiberglass, and aluminum. For example,
a rusty fuel tank will be eaten away at which point metal particles eventually end up clogging
pumps and injectors. These parts must be replaced or the engine could stall or malfunction in
other ways that could become unpleasant in a little roadside gas station in the middle of nowhere.
Ethanol dries out non alcohol resistant parts, such as rubber hoses and plastic connections
which crack over time. Many cars newer than 2007 were built to resist these affects but most cars
on the road are not. My dads 1997 Chevy Malibu had to have injectors replaced from the above
mentioned process caused by ethanol. His mechanic explained the problem as The ethanol took
the rust in the gas tank and turned it into sand in the injectors.

Poulsen 4

Boatus.com examined one other issue found with the introduction of ethanol in gasoline.
Ethanol attracts nearly ten times more water as MTBE but can still burn safely in the engine. The
problem with this arises when the fuel is left for a period of time in a process called phase
separation. Water is chemically bonded in MTBE but ethanol fuels left without a stabilizer will
separate leaving water at the bottom of the tank as fuel rises above. No chemical can reverse
phase separation and the tank must be drained of the corrosive mixture. Draining and disposing
of the mixture may be difficult if it is in a large boat that will remain in the water. Leaks may
contaminate the water and burning may be seen as the best solution for disposal.
Ethanol boosts octane levels in gasoline but this should not be confused with the energy
content in each. Wikipedia defines octane as the term used to determine the tendency of a fuel to
burn in a controlled manner. The higher the octane number, the more controlled combustion is.
Energy is how efficiently a hydrocarbon can be turned to carbon dioxide and water. Studies
have shown that ethanol is less efficient than gasoline in combustion.
For example, Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing for Edmunds.com, decided to run
a test to determine the efficiency of E85 Ethanol compared to gasoline. His crew drove a 2007
Chevrolet Tahoe from San Diego, California to Las Vegas, Nevada and back on both fuels. They
determined that with gasoline the vehicle averaged 18.3 MPG while ethanol averaged 13.5 MPG
on the same test run. Even with wind direction and traffic slightly in their favor with ethanol,
gasoline still came out on top by 26%. E10 which contains 10% ethanol is the combination
deemed safe for all cars. Whether the mixture is 10% or 85% the fuel efficiency is still lower
which nearly completely offsets the benefits. That explains why many people have seen lower
gas mileage over the last few years.

Poulsen 5

As with many things in the world, there are a few benefits to the use of Ethanol. Many
advocates for the use of Ethanol continually state the fuels environmental friendly nature which
does have a few merits. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, ethanol is safer on the
environment in cases of spills and other disasters as it is biodegradable if it happens to enter the
water system. MTBE is not biodegradable which keeps harmful chemicals in the ground longer.
As with many new innovations the efficiency of ethanol production continues to increase.
The Renewable Fuels Association stated that in nearly twenty years advancements in technology
have made it possible to use less natural gas, electricity, and water to effectively produce ethanol
products that can be used as fuels. Since 1995 the electricity and gas used to manufacture ethanol
has decreased by about 36% each. In the same amount of time refiners have been able to make
12% more ethanol from every bushel of corn.
More manufacturing of flex fuel vehicle allows more consumers to choose the use of E85
Ethanol or regular gasoline for their vehicle than before without experiencing the harmful side
effects. Fuel systems on all vehicles are being made to withstand the disastrous drying and
cleansing effects of ethanol. This helps open the doors to other manufacture aimed at lowering
demand for fossil fuels. The increase in flex fuel manufacturing also gives some consumers the
ability to feel they are saving the world one tank at a time.
Some people, like myself, have experienced many of the effects that ethanol has on a car.
My 2006 Nissan Sentra has difficulty starting that is directly related to the ethanol in gasoline.
Right now the mixture is limited to ten percent but this could change in the coming years. Many
manufacturers will not warrant the added stress that higher blends would create. Since ethanol
production burdens so many aspects of our life, we need to find a better solution for future
generations.