The post was in response to someone (correctly) saying that some power equipment was not meant to handle higher volumes of ethanol in the petrol. On the radio Lars Larsson was talking about rubber hoses, gaskets etc. sometimes cannot handle it.
Incomplete combustion of ethanol can result in acetic acid or acetaldehyde which may not be compatible with older engines.
In E15 fuel you have 15% ethanol. When you add water you remove that 15% which gets pulled into the aqueous phase.
You can do this experiment for yourself, right now, if you have salt and rubbing alcohol. It’s called salting out water from isopropyl alcohol. Take rubbing alcohol, add several tablespoons of salt, then shake and let stand. There will be saltwater at the bottom and 100% isopropyl alcohol at the top. You have removed 30% of the original solution and that now is salt water. (NaCl is not soluble in isopropyl alcohol).
Removing water from petrol is the same. Ethanol dissolves in water, petrol does not. You pull the ethanol out of petrol with water. Unlike the isopropyl alcohol example the aqueous portion is heavier, so the ethanol and water are on the bottom layer.
Either reaction is fun to watch, just like making biodiesel. The reaction is fast and clearly visible.
Ok, I am a chemistry nerd.
” Lars Larsson was talking about rubber hoses, gaskets etc. sometimes cannot handle it.”
Again, no difference on cars E10 versus E15.
OK. I got thread mixedup with one about converting oil to ethanol.