KEEPING THAT TIGER IN YOUR TANK (STRETCHING GASOLINE SUPPLIES)

Ashland Oil Inc. recently announced the development of a process called atmospheric-reduced crude oil, which permits refiners to obtain 25% more gasoline from a barrel of oil. Residual oil is transformed into 94 octane unleaded gasoline via the process using a catalyst made from microspherical silica-alumina crystals. Crude oil supplies can also be stretched by mixing alcohol with gasoline; ethanol blended in a 10:1 ratio with gasoline (i.e. gasohol) is the most popular example and the one receiving the most Federal support through tax incentives. Today, large-scale commercial gasohol development is especially practical in regions like Brazil where ethanol is produced from abundant sugar cane, where plenty of land is available for cultivation, and where fossil fuels are limited. Production of methanol from wood is more efficient than ethanol from wood or sugar cane. Mobil Oil Corporation has developed a one-step methanol-to-gasoline process using a new type of catalyst, "shape-selective" ZSM-5. This process can also be applied to ethanol. Another alcohol option as a gasoline extender is butanol which has properties closer to those of diesel fuel and gasoline than does ethanol or methanol. Octane boosters offer another promising way to extend gasoline supplies. Gulf Research and Development Company recently reported on a new class of nonmetallic antiknock agents made from aniline dye derivatives.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00368423
• Corporate Authors:

  Science Services, Incorporated

  1719 N Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036
• Authors:
  • Raloff, J
• Publication Date: 1980-4-12

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 234-236
• Serial:
  • Science News
  • Volume: 117
  • Issue Number: 15
  • Publisher: Science Services, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0036-8423

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Antiknock compounds; Crude oil; Energy conservation; Engine knock; Ethanol; Fuel additives; Gasohol; Methanol
• Old TRIS Terms: Processing
• Subject Areas: Energy; Environment; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00392283
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-028 885
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1985 12:00AM