The role of ethanol as cosolvent on the separated gasoline methanol blend

Abstract

This article aims to reveal the role of ethanol as a cosolvent in maintaining the stability of a gasoline methanol blend. Polar methanol was mixed with polar gasoline with a fraction of 30, 50 and 70% v/v at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Ethanol titration in gasoline methanol mixtures was conducted to determine the ethanol content needed to maintain the stability of the methanol-gasoline blend. Mixing stirring was done manually. A blend of gasoline-ethanol-methanol was waited for 120 minutes to ensure the mixture was not separated. The results of the study show that ethanol has a role as a cosolvent where the OH (hydroxyl) as the head (polar) is attached to the polar methanol molecule while the CH (hydrocarbon) group as the tail (non-polar) interacts with the non-polar gasoline molecule.