ASTM E3050-22

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Designation: E3050 − 21 E3050 − 22
Standard Specification for
Denatured Ethanol for Use as Cooking and Appliance Fuel
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E3050; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers denatured ethanol intended to be used as a cooking or appliance fuel, or both.
1.1.1 This product is intentionally denatured as an additional deterrent to consumption and to avoid beverage alcohol use.
1.1.2 This specification allows for various denaturants to be used for the intended purpose of cooking or appliance fuel.
Jurisdictions may vary in their regulatory requirement for the allowable or prohibited types of denaturants, chemical composition
of the denaturant or concentration of denaturant needed to denature the ethanol.
1.2 Nothing in this specification shall preclude observance of federal, state, or local regulations.
1.3 Denatured ethanol has many regulatory limitations that cover the production, trading, transporting, distributing, wholesale and
retail sale, and use of denatured ethanol; this specification does not purport to address the regulatory compliance aspects of these
activities.
1.4 The application and intent of this product is for household cooking fuel and not for on-road motor fuel use (see D4806).
1.5 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
standard.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of
regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
D86 Test Method for Distillation of Petroleum Products and Liquid Fuels at Atmospheric Pressure
D381 Test Method for Gum Content in Fuels by Jet Evaporation
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E48 on Bioenergy and Industrial Chemicals from Biomass and is the direct responsibility of
Subcommittee E48.A0 on Product Specifications.
Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2021Sept. 15, 2022. Published January 2022September 2022. Originally approved in 2016. Last previous edition approved in 20162021
as E3050 – 16.E3050 – 21. DOI: 10.1520/E3050-21.10.1520/E3050-22.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E3050 − 22
D4057 Practice for Manual Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products
D4177 Practice for Automatic Sampling of Petroleum and Petroleum Products
D4306 Practice for Aviation Fuel Sample Containers for Tests Affected by Trace Contamination
D4806 Specification for Denatured Fuel Ethanol for Blending with Gasolines for Use as Automotive Spark-Ignition Engine Fuel
D4815 Test Method for Determination of MTBE, ETBE, TAME, DIPE, tertiary-Amyl Alcohol and C to C Alcohols in
1 4
Gasoline by Gas Chromatography
D5854 Practice for Mixing and Handling of Liquid Samples of Petroleum and Petroleum Products
D5501 Test Method for Determination of Ethanol and Methanol Content in Fuels Containing Greater than 20 % Ethanol by Gas
Chromatography
D5854 Practice for Mixing and Handling of Liquid Samples of Petroleum and Petroleum Products
D7345 Test Method for Distillation of Petroleum Products and Liquid Fuels at Atmospheric Pressure (Micro Distillation
Method)
D7795 Test Method for Acidity in Ethanol and Ethanol Blends by Titration
D7923 Test Method for Water in Ethanol and Hydrocarbon Blends by Karl Fischer Titration
E203 Test Method for Water Using Volumetric Karl Fischer Titration
E300 Practice for Sampling Industrial Chemicals
E1064 Test Method for Water in Organic Liquids by Coulometric Karl Fischer Titration
2.2 CGSB Standard:
CAN/CGSB 3.516 Denatured Fuel Ethanol for use in Automotive Spark-ignition Fuels
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 denaturants, n—materials added to ethanol to make it unsuitable for beverage use under a formula approved by a regulatory
agency to prevent the imposition of beverage alcohol tax.
3.1.1.1 Discussion—
Denaturants are only those materials added by the denaturer to comply with the approved formula; any materials absorbed later
are not denaturants.
3.1.2 denatured ethanol, n—ethanol made unfit for beverage use by the addition of toxic or noxious materials.
3.1.3 higher alcohols, n—aliphatic alcohols of general formula C H +1OH with n being 3 to 8.
n 2n
3.1.4 hydrocarbon, n—those components in an ethanol-hydrocarbon blend containing only hydrogen and carbon.
3.1.5 methanol, n—methyl alcohol, the chemical compound CH OH.
4. Fuel Specifications
4.1 Denatured ethanol for use as cooking and appliance fuel shall conform to the specifications in Table 1.
TABLE 1 Denatured Ethanol Cooking and Appliance Fuel Specifications
Grade A Grade B
Property Units Limit Limit Min/Max Test Method
Ethanol volume % 90 90 Min D5501
Water volume % 10 10 Max E203, E1064, or D7923
Higher Alcohols volume % 2 0.6 Max D4815
(C –C )
3 8
Final Boiling Point, ºC, (ºF) 225, (437) 225, (437) Max D86, D7345
Maximum
Acidity mg/Kg 40 40 Max D7795
(as acetic acid)
Denaturant Volume % Report Report Document addition must
conform toTable 2
A
Colored Dye Visual Report Report Document Addition
A
See 4.2.3: Denaturant Addition
Available from Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB), 11 Laurier St., Phase III, Place du Portage, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0S5, Canada, http://www.tpsgc-
pwgsc.gc.ca/ongc-cgsb.
E3050 − 22
4.2 Discussion on Denaturant and Colored Dye—
4.2.1 While a denaturant and a colored dye can be used to indicate a tax liability status, the two products are not identical
functionally. A denaturant may or may not add color to ethanol while rendering the ethanol unpotable. A colored dye intentionally
adds color for a visual indication.
4.2.2 There may be denaturing requirements to avoid liquor tax liability. In this case, the denaturant concentration must conform
to Table 2.
4.2.3 The denaturant is added as deterrent to consumption. The denatonium benzoate addition is recommended in an amount that
meets the minimum and maximum requirements listed in Table 2.
4.2.4 The addition of a colored dye is also recommended. The colored dye must be added in a concentra
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