Methanol versus MTBE

[turbov6joe]

I found a really informative chart listing the properties of most commonly used fuels. It states that the motor octane for Methanol is 92 and the research is 107 with a (R+M)/2 of 100. As for MTBE, the research is 116 and the motor is 101 with a (R+M)/2 of 108....looks like a good alternative to Methanol for the alky injection systems if it can be bought for the right price. I just picked up 5 gallons of methanol for $2.47/gallon, I'll have to check with my source to see if he can get MTBE cheap???

 

[larry33kc]

Hey Joe I am sure I will feel stupid asking this but what is MTBE.

Also what is the rating of regular alky.

 

[turbosam6]

Meth has an octane rating of 120+, not sure where you got your info?

 

[Razor]

I think your missing the point on cooling and only focus'ing on the octane benefit.

MTBE is octane boost. And you'll find it to be pretty expensive, unless i'm wrong.

Is there alky at the track in BG?

 

[Black Box]

MTBE = Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether

 

[Drac0nic]

another angle on this, MTBE is toxic. They used to add it to gas to boost octane, but it's been banned for use as an additive because when it leaks out of tanks it's a health hazard. By this note I'd wager you'll have fun getting it, as it's probably a controlled substance.

 

[ijames]

Not that anyone here is a rat , but from a methanol MSDS the oral rat LD50 is 5.628 g/kg and the inhalation rat LC50 is 64000 ppm/4H, while for MTBE the LD50 is 2.96 g/kg and the LC50 is 35000 ppm, so in the acute sense MTBE is less poisonous than methanol. Also, don't forget that methanol exposure leads to blindness which can be permanent, it's your lifetime cumulative dose that matters so a little dose today may not seem like much but it gets added onto the little bit yesterday and the day before, and methanol can be absorbed through the skin, so don't get any on you and wash it off immediately with water if you do. The main reason MTBE is being banned from gasoline is that lots of underground gasoline storage tanks leak, and if that gas has MTBE in it the MTBE is very effective at getting to the water table and showing up in drinking water where it can be smelled at very very low concentrations. Somehow no one seemed to care about all those tanks leaking gasoline before they started smelling the MTBE. Oh, MTBE is much more volatile than methanol (lower boiling point and higher vapor pressure at room temperature) so it evaporates faster and more will evaporate if you injected it, but I didn't see any heat of evaporation data in my quick search so I don't know if it's an overall win or loss as far as charge cooling goes.

 

[BoostKillsStres]

Latent heat of MTBE is about 1/4 that of methanol here's a handy reference:

http://www.afdc.doe.gov/pdfs/fueltable.pdf