EPA approval of Bio-Isobutanol as fuel additive

[berkshire]

The EPA has now signed approval for registration of Bio butanol as a fuel additive on June 12th 2018. At levels up to 16% volume.

The question is: Are we trading one poison (Ethanol) for another? Bio butanol seems to push all of the right buttons, but most of the reports I have seen are from people promoting the stuff. Questions I have are, is it compatible with Aluminum fuel lines and Carburetors, is it hydroscopic, will it form varnish/gum? The reports I have seen indicate that you can blend up to 80% into Gasoline or even use it as a standalone fuel without modifying the engine.
If all of this is true why haven’t we been utilizing it sooner?
B.E.


You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[RodRico]

You'll find a number of research papers linked at the bottom of the page at

https://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/emerging_biobutanol.html.

The paper titled "Compatibility Study for Plastic, Elastomeric, and Metallic Fueling Infrastructure Materials Exposed to Aggressive Formulations of Isobutanol-Blended Gasoline" might be of particular interest to you.

 

[berkshire]

Apparently the boating industry is favoring this fuel , I work on boat motors from time to time , and Ethanol is/was a disaster with those motors .
This report is encouraging:

http://mtam.org/dev/wp-content/uploads/BioButanol_FACT-SHEET.pdf

but whilst it says that Butanol is more resistant to phase separation, it says it still happens, now does the water just drop out like it does in Avgas or does it still form a chemical compound like Ethanol?
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.