UL to start testing E85 dispenser products by year-end

Underwriters Laboratories said that by year-end it expects to begin testing E85 dispenser products. mp1

The independent product-testing group, based in Northbrook, Ill., said early this month that it will accept requests now for “certification investigations” for gaskets and seals for use with concentrated ethanol-blended fuels such as E85.

In order to develop the requirements that will be used for certification, UL conducted a gasket and seal ethanol-blended fuel compatibility research program, it said in a statement issued Aug. 2. The objective of the research was to subject various materials to a variety of test conditions with ethanol-blended fuels and to assess the effects of those fuels on the materials.

The results of UL's research indicate that certain commercially available gasket and seal materials formulated for this specific use can be expected to perform acceptably when exposed to motor vehicle fuels blended with high concentrations of ethanol, including those that contain an optional corrosion inhibitor additive. However, some materials experienced significant deterioration during the research tests. The research results were reviewed by UL's E85 Technical Panel, which includes global experts in ethanol material compatibility.

"These results confirm the necessity of establishing safety requirements for E85 dispensers that take into account the long-term effects of exposure to ethanol," said John Drengenberg, UL's consumer affairs manager.

Testing of gaskets and seals for compatibility with ethanol/gasoline blended fuels, such as E85, is part of UL's extensive research program into the public safety aspects of the equipment used to store and distribute these fuels. As previously announced, research to establish E85 fuel dispensing equipment certification requirements continues on schedule. UL anticipates completion of the research and development of certification requirements by year-end.

Thereafter, UL will accept product submissions for E85 dispensers. For more information on UL's E85 safety testing initiatives, visit: http://www.ul.com/regulators/e85.cfm.

"Building a safe and reliable biofuels infrastructure is an essential step toward meeting the president's goal of displacing 20 percent of gasoline consumption within the decade by commercializing cost-effective biofuels nationwide," U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner said. "Expanding the use of clean and abundant homegrown fuels will decrease our reliance on imported oil, increase our energy security, and benefit our environment."

UL has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to implement an intensive research program intended to advance public knowledge about the long-term effects of ethanol-blended fuels on components of E85 dispensers and the subsequent effects on safety. For more information on this partnership, visit: http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/resources/technology_bulletin_0307.html.