What is Oxygenated Fuel?
Oxygenated fuel is nothing more than fuel that has a chemical compound containing oxygen. It is used to help fuel burn more efficiently and cut down on some types of atmospheric pollution. In many cases, it is credited with reducing the smog problem in major urban centers. It can also reduce deadly carbon monoxide emissions. Oxygenated fuel works by allowing the gasoline in vehicles to burn more completely. Because more of the fuel is burning, there are fewer harmful chemicals released into the atmosphere. In addition to being cleaner burning, oxygenated fuel also helps cut down on the amount of non-renewable fossil fuels consumed. Oxygenated fuel has a number of different additives that can be inserted in order to produce the desired effect. For many years, MTBE was a common additive for oxygenated fuel. However, MTBE was later found to be harmful to groundwater and has since been outlawed as a gasoline additive in some countries. In more recent years, ethanol has become the additive
Oxygenated fuel is gasoline blended with oxygenates like ethanol. What that means is that the gas contains more oxygen so it burns cleaner, significantly reducing auto-exhaust emissions, particularly carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons in older-model vehicles. Newer-model vehicles have sophisticated engine-control systems that minimize the benefit of having more oxygen in gasoline. In addition, refiners can make other changes to the composition of gasoline that achieves similar emission reductions without the use of oxygenates. Currently, federal regulations require oil companies to produce and sell oxygenated fuel year-round in many major cities in the U.S. State regulations also require oxygenated fuel in the winter for cities that have carbon-monoxide problems.
Oxygenated fuel contains oxygen as part of its chemical makeup. The purpose of fuel oxygenation is often to reduce carbon monoxide levels created while the fuel burns. Usually oxygenates come in the form of gasoline additives, such as alcohol. Some boaters are concerned with the possibility than an oxygenated fuel can harm their motor and interfere with the performance of their outboard motor oil. Outboard motors can generally tolerate up to 10% alcohol content in fuels, which is the maximum amount allowed by the United States. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “What Is Oxygenated Fuel?”, url: “http://www.outboardmotoroilblog.
