The key difference between oxygenated and non oxygenated gasoline is that the ignition of oxygenated gasoline reduces the carbon monoxide and soot produced during the burning of the fuel whereas non oxygenated gasoline produces more carbon monoxide and soot.
Gasoline is the fuel that we use daily in our vehicles. There are two forms of gasoline as oxygenated form and non-oxygenated form. There are many benefits of the oxygenated form over the non-oxygenated form.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Oxygenated Gasoline
3. What is Non Oxygenated Gasoline
4. Side by Side Comparison – Oxygenated vs Non Oxygenated Gasoline in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Oxygenated Gasoline?
Oxygenated gasoline is a form of fuel that has ethanol as an additive to increase the oxygen content of the fuel. A compound that we use as an additive to increase the oxygen content is “an oxygenate”. There are other oxygenates other than ethanol such as alcohols like methanol, isopropyl alcohol, etc. and ethers like methyl tert-butyl ether. We add these components to gasoline mainly because it is a cheap way to increase the octane rating – increased octane ratings reduce the knocking effect. However, it is the secondary role of oxygenation, the primary role is reducing the exhaust emissions.
It reduces the emission of carbon monoxide and soot produced during the burning fuel. Moreover, it reduces compounds related to soot such as PAH (polyaromatic hydrocarbons) and nitrated PAH’s. Another importance is that this gasoline does not harm either older or modern vehicle engines.
What is Non Oxygenated Gasoline?
Non-oxygenated gasoline is a form of gasoline that has no additives, which increase the oxygen content of the fuel. This fuel has no ethanol or any other oxygenate. Therefore, it reduces the corrosion problems of the engine. This makes it a good choice for vehicles that we store for a long time in off-seasons.
Figure 01: Ethanol-free Gasoline
Although it has benefits, there are some drawbacks as well. For example, it oxidizes and forms gums over time. Hence, we have to treat it with fuel stabilizers. However, the high octane rating of this fuel can cause trouble such as it is not suitable in small engines because these small engines have a slow burn rate and thus, it may form a high amount of carbon deposits and unburned fuel.
What is the Difference Between Oxygenated and Non Oxygenated Gasoline?
Oxygenated gasoline is a form of fuel which has ethanol as an additive to increase the oxygen content of the fuel. The main importance of this fuel is that it reduces the emission of the harmful exhaust. Moreover, Moreover, it reduces compounds related to soot such as PAH (polyaromatic hydrocarbons) and nitrated PAH’s. Non-oxygenated gasoline is a form of gasoline which has no additives which increase the oxygen content of the fuel.
Summary – Oxygenated vs Non Oxygenated Gasoline
Gasoline is the fuel we use for vehicle engines. There are two types as oxygenated form and non-oxygenated form. The difference between oxygenated and non oxygenated gasoline is that the ignition of oxygenated gasoline reduces the carbon monoxide and soot produced during the burning of the fuel whereas non-oxygenated gasoline produces more carbon monoxide and soot.
Reference:
1. 09, Family HandymanAug. “10 Things You Should Know About Gasoline.” Family Handyman, Family Handyman. Available here
2. Oxygenated Gasoline. Available here
Image Courtesy:
1.’Ethanol-Free Pump Saugatuck, MI’By 127driver – Own work, (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia