Posted by Mike Hernke (MO) [172.68.58.170] on Monday, June 25, 2018 at 08:17:09 :
In Reply to: i dont understand why they make posted by mannyc [162.158.63.241] on Sunday, June 24, 2018 at 21:26:49 :
I toured the nearby ethanol plant and I if I remember right they do produce some corn oil which is sold as a commodity to whoever buys it. It could become biodiesel. The ethanol only uses the sugars in corn and another by product is the residual, which again if memory serves was mostly protein and very much in demand as a feed additive. Ethanol is very high octane and is a useful additive to safely raise octane. Other ways to boost octane are lead and I think mtbe both of which have caused significant pollution problems.
If you are anywhere near an ethanol plant call them and ask about a tour. The effort my local plant puts into improving efficiency and finding ways to reuse waste is impressive. I have been to many plants and see wasteful habits and low efficiency equipment used all the time to save money.
I have no dog in this fight, I just think ethanol gets blamed for a lot of problems it us not responsible for. Remember gasoline is a complex blend of chemicals and I am sure that base blend has been screwed with plenty in the last 40 years. Could be gasoline is getting worse? I let my Scout sit 4 years with regular 87 octane, added some fresh gas on top and fired right up. Runs like new and I did nothing else. During that time my front brakes decided to lock up but the fuel system is fine.