ASTM D4806-99

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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Designation: D 4806 – 99 An American National Standard
Standard Specification for
Denatured Fuel Ethanol for Blending with Gasolines for Use
as Automotive Spark-Ignition Engine Fuel
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 4806; 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 (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope Content of Denatured Fuel Ethanol by Gas Chromatogra-
phy
1.1 This specification covers nominally anhydrous dena-
D 6423 Test Method for Determination of pHe of Ethanol,
tured fuel ethanol intended to be blended with unleaded or
Denatured Fuel Ethanol, and Fuel Ethanol (Ed75–Ed85)
leaded gasolines at 1 to 10 volume % for use as a spark-ignition
E 203 Test Method for Water Using Karl Fischer Reagent
automotive engine fuel. The significance of this specification is
E 300 Practice for Sampling Industrial Chemicals
shown in Appendix X1.
E 1064 Test Method for Water in Organic Liquids by
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
Coulometric Karl Fischer Titration
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information
2.2 Other Standards:
only.
United States Code of Federal Regulations, Title 27, Parts
2. Referenced Documents
20 and 21
United States Federal Specification O-E-760b Ethyl Alco-
2.1 ASTM Standards:
hol (Ethanol): Denatured Alcohol: and Proprietary Sol-
D 86 Test Method for Distillation of Petroleum Products
vent
D 381 Test Method for Existent Gum in Fuels by Jet
Evaporation
3. Terminology
D 512 Test Methods for Chloride Ion in Water
3.1 Definitions:
D 891 Test Methods for Specific Gravity, Apparent, of
3.1.1 ethanol, n—ethyl alcohol, the chemical compound
Liquid Industrial Chemicals
5 C H OH.
2 5
D 1152 Specification for Methanol (Methyl Alcohol)
3.1.2 gasoline, n—a volatile mixture of liquid hydrocar-
D 1193 Specification for Reagent Water
bons, generally containing small amounts of additives, suitable
D 1613 Test Method for Acidity in Volatile Solvents and
for use as a fuel in spark-ignition, internal combustion engines.
Chemical Intermediates Used in Paint, Varnish, Lacquer,
3.1.3 gasoline-ethanol blend, n—a fuel consisting primarily
and Related Products
of gasoline along with a substantial amount (more than 0.35
D 1688 Test Methods for Copper in Water
mass % oxygen) of denatured fuel ethanol.
D 3505 Test Method for Density or Relative Density of
3.1.4 oxygenate, n—an oxygen-containing ashless, organic
Pure Liquid Chemicals
compound, such as an alcohol or ether, which may be used as
D 4052 Test Method for Density and Relative Density of
a fuel or fuel supplement.
Liquids by Digital Density Meter
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
D 4057 Practice for Manual Sampling of Petroleum and
6 3.2.1 denaturants—natural gasoline, gasoline components,
Petroleum Products
unleaded gasoline, or toxic or noxious materials added to fuel
D 4814 Specification for Automotive Spark-Ignition Engine
7 ethanol to make it unsuitable for beverage use but not
Fuel
unsuitable for automotive use.
D 5501 Test Method for the Determination of Ethanol
3.2.2 denatured fuel ethanol—fuel ethanol made unfit for
beverage use by the addition of denaturants.
3.2.3 fuel ethanol—ethanol with impurities common to its
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-2 on
production (including water but excluding denaturants).
Petroleum Products and Lubricants and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
3.2.4 impurities—in commercially produced fuel ethanol
D02.A on Gasoline and Oxygenated Fuels.
compounds other than ethanol or denaturants present such as
Current edition approved Dec. 10, 1999. Published January 2000. Originally
published as D 4806 – 88. Last previous edition D 4806 – 98.
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 05.01.
3 8
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 11.01. Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 05.04.
4 9
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 15.05. Order as Code of Federal Regulations Title 27 Parts 200-End: from Superin-
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 06.04. tendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
6 10
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 05.02. Order from Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 05.03. Washington, DC 20402.
Copyright © ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
D 4806
NOTE 4—BATF regulations concerning the preparation, use, and han-
methanol and fusel oil (for example, amyl and isoamyl
dling of denatured ethanols are published in the United States Code of
alcohols).
Federal Regulations, Title 27, Parts 20 and 21. Part 20 contains primarily
3.2.5 pHe—a measure of the acid strength of alcohol fuels.
legal and administrative information, and Part 21 contains technical
4. Performance Requirements information on denaturants and denatured ethanols.
4.1 Denatured Fuel Ethanol—When fuel ethanol is dena-
5.2 Prohibited Denaturants—Although this specification
tured as specified in Section 5, it shall conform to the following
permits only hydrocarbons in the gasoline boiling range to be
requirements at the time of blending with a gasoline.
used as denaturants, specific mention must be made of some
Ethanol, volume %, min 92.1 materials that have extremely adverse effects on fuel stability,
Methanol, volume %, max 0.5
automotive engines and fuel systems. These materials shall not
Solvent-washed gum, 5.0
be used as denaturants for fuel ethanol under any circum-
mg/100 mL, max
Water content, volume %, max 1 (Note 1) stances. They are as follows: methanol which does not meet
Denaturant content, volume %, min 1.96
Specification D 1152, pyrroles, turpentine, ketones and tars
volume %, max 4.76
(high-molecular weight pyrolysis products of fossil or nonfos-
Inorganic Chloride content, mass 40 (32)
ppm (mg/L), max
sil vegetable matter). While any significant amount of metha-
Copper content, mg/kg, max 0.1
nol will lower the water tolerance and increase the vapor
Acidity (as acetic acid CH COOH), 0.007 (56) (Note 3)
pressure of a gasoline-ethanol blend, these effects become
mass % (mg/L), max
pHe 6.5 to 9.0
more serious when methanol is present at more than 2.5 parts
Appearance Visibly free of suspended or precipi-
by volume per 100 parts by volume of fuel ethanol. Also,
tated contaminants (clear and
methanol which does not meet Specification D 1152 frequently
bright)
contains impurities such as turpentine and tars. Similarly,
NOTE 1—In some cases, a lower water content may be necessary to
ketone denaturants tend to degrade fuel stability or increase the
avoid phase separation of a gasoline-ethanol blend at very low tempera-
tendency of a gasoline-ethanol blend to corrode metals and
tures. This reduced water content, measured at the time of delivery, shall
be agreed upon between the supplier and purchaser. attack elastomers. These effects become more serious if the
NOTE 2—If denatured fuel ethanol is prepared by the addition of
concentration of a ketone such as 4-methyl pentanone (methyl
denaturants to undenatured fuel ethanol after it has been produced rather
isobutyl ketone) exceeds one part by volume per 100 parts by
than during the dehydration process, the 15.56/15.56°C (60/60°F) specific
volume of fuel ethanol. There is no information available on
gravity in air of the undenatured fuel ethanol shall be in the range from
the effects of denaturants other than those mentioned above,
0.7937–0.7977.
but unless a denaturant, such as a higher aliphatic alcohol or
NOTE 3—Denatured fuel ethanol may contain additives such as corro-
ether, is known to have no adverse effect on a gasoline-ethanol
sion inhibitors and detergents that may affect the titratable acidity (acidity
as acetic acid) of the finished fuel ethanol. Although the base fuel ethanol blend or on automotive engines or fuel systems, it shall not be
may meet the acidity specification, the effect of these additives may
used.
produce an apparent high titratable acidity of the finished product. Contact
the ethanol supplier if there is a question regarding the titratable acidity of
6. Sampling
your denatured fuel ethanol to verify that the base ethanol meets the
6.1 Samples may be obtained by an appropriate procedure
acidity requirements of 4.1.
of Practice D 4057 or Practice E 300, except that water
4.2 Other Properties—Limits more restrictive than those
displacement (in section on Sampling for Specific Tests in
specified above, or the specification of additional properties
D 4057) must not be used. Where practical, fuel ethanol should
such as color, may be agreed upon between the supplier and the
be sampled in glass containers. If samples must be collected in
purchaser.
metal containers, do not use soldered metal containers although
5. Denaturants they are specified in the Sampling Equipment section in
Practice E 300. This is because the soldering flux in the
5.1 The only denaturants used for fuel ethanol shall be
containers may contaminate the sample.
natural gasoline, gasoline components, or unleaded gasoline at
6.2 Sample Size—A minimum of about 1 L or 1 U.S. qt is
a minimum concentration of two parts by volume per 100 parts
recommended. If specific gravity is to be determined by a
by volume of fuel ethanol, as defined by Formula CDA 20 of
hydrometer method, additional volume may be required. This
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) of the
depends on the size of the hydrometer.
U.S. Treasury Department. This spec
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