goldseeker
Champion Author
West Virginia
Posts:19,537
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Message Posted: Mar 5, 2011 11:40:30 AM
Hawaii Ethanol fuel phase test
There are some nice photos on this site.
I have done a similar test myself and got similar results, both in WVA and in a boat house in Port Aranass, Texas.
Now, I am not saying that phase seperation cannot happen. If you purchase fuel that already has a large amount of water in suspension, then it would take very little additional water to create phase seperation.
However, according to the EPA, it would take well over 200 days to saturate one gallon of gasoline in an open gasoline can (assuming the only source of water is water vapor from the air). Water absorption from the air is far slower at lower temperatures and humidities. (At a temperature of 70 degrees and relative humidity of 70%, it would take over two years to saturate one gallon of conventional gasoline in the same gasoline can.) Again, oxygenated gasolines can hold more water than conventional gasoline, and would therefore take much longer to saturate with water.
I have been using exclusively ethanol blend fuels for about 13 years in all my engines and have not experienced it, even after leaving tanks full during the winter months with my power tools, mowers, etc..
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