Retail Petroleum Equipment

Technical Bulletin Q&A Subject: E85 Fuel and Fuel Filtration Systems Date: December, 2005 E85, One Micron Filters and other Mysteries What IS E85? E85 is a blend of 15% gasoline and 85% ethanol. IS THIS THE SAME ETHANOL THAT IS USED IN GASOHOL? Yes, exactly the same but in a much higher concentration. Standard Gasohol is only 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. WHAT FILTER MICRON RATING SHOULD BE USED WITH E85? PetroClear recommends 10 micron. WHY DOES THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RECOMMEND A ONE MICRON FILTER? There has been a lot of misinformation in recent weeks about the E85 fuel blend and how it should be filtered. A presentation at the NACS/PEI Show in Las Vegas in November recommended a One Micron filter be used when dispensing E85. This recommendation was tied to a Department of Energy Handbook on Ethanol Fuels that was written in 1992. No one has been able to find out who made the determination that one micron filters should be used nor how that determination came about. Since the specifications for a one micron filters are so drastically tight (a grain of pollen is 10 microns-a red blood cell is 7 microns) it is assumed that some SAE test procedure was conducted with E85 or consultation was made with OEM car makers in order to justify that recommendation. After many calls to many people it remains a mystery as to who, how and why a one micron filter was recommended since there is no other basis in fact to support it. The Renewable Fuels Association ( www.ethanolfra.org ) says 10 micron but please read on. There are some important facts that are known about the filtration of E85. Champion Laboratories has worked closely with the Big Three car companies and other offshore OEM manufacturers for over twenty years. Champion has three resident engineers based in the Detroit area who work daily with the OEM’s in designing new filters for applications that are as far out as five years from now. Champion supplies millions of new car oil, air, and fuel filters annually to the OEM’s. The engineering relationship between Champion and the OE manufacturers allows us access to information including the specifications for OEM filters. 1