Journal of Petroleum & Environmental Biotechnology

Abstract

An Experimental Study on the Influence of Ethanol and Automotive Gasoline Blends

Aboul Fotouh TM*, Omar A Mazen and Ibrahim Ashour

The objective of this work is to investigate the production possibility of high octane environmental ethanol gasoline blends based on Euro specifications. The environmental gasoline is the key element to keep the environment safe and clean. Moreover, it reduces gas emissions after combustion of gasoline. One of the main methods to produce the environmental gasoline is blending gasoline with oxygenated compounds such as ethanol. Ethanol is chosen among other oxygenated compounds as it has a high influence on physico-chemical characteristics of gasoline rather than other oxygenated compounds. In addition, it has a high octane number as well as it is not polluting the environment and clean additive. In the experimental study, the choice of environmental gasolines are based on Euro- 3 specifications for samples without ethanol blend and Euro-5 specifications for samples with ethanol blend; after upgrading. Various blend stocks have been prepared which have reformate, isomerate, full refinery naphtha (FRN), heavy straight run naphtha (HSRN), hydrocracked naphtha, heavy hydrocracked naphtha, coker naphtha and heavy coker naphtha. In this study, ASTM standard methods are performed for spark ignition fuels to characterize its physical and chemical properties. The results show that one has exhibited the optimum specifications of Euro-3 and thus its physico-chemical characteristics are 755.11 Kg/m³ of density, 55.88 of °API and 95 of RON, 88 of MON, 40% by volume of aromatic content and 0.66% by volume of benzene content. Moreover, ASTM distillation curve shows that the volume percentage at 150°C is 83. At the same time, the final boiling point (FBP) and recovery volume percent are 198°C is 96% respectively. While another sample has the poorest physical as well as chemical properties so that it is blended with ethanol to upgrade its characteristics. Therefore, the target is determining the optimum ethanol volume percent to be blended with poorest sample to yield the highest properties of gasoline. These blends are namely as E0, E5, E10, E15, E20. The results indicate that E5 is the optimum one for Euro-5 specifications after upgrading and thus its physico-chemical characteristics are 745.55 Kg/m³ of density, 58 of ^oAPI, 101 of RON, 98 of MON, 32.65% by volume of aromatic content and 0.47% by volume of benzene content. Moreover, ASTM distillation curve illustrates that the volume percentage at 150°C is 75. At the same time, the final boiling point (FBP) and recovery volume percent are 190°C and 97% respectively. In addition, its Reid vapor pressure equals 8.1 psi and the heat of combustion equals 35 MJ/L. In the final, Blending gasoline with ethanol is an essential issue concerning the production of environmental gasolines.