Ethanol is widely used as both an oxygenate additive and as a fuel substitute for gasoline. Legislation mandates a significant increase in ethanol usage as fuel over the next twenty years. The widespread use of ethanol will require efficient and reliable transportation from widely dispersed ethanol producers to distribution terminals. Pipelines are by far the most cost-effective means of transporting large quantities of liquid hydrocarbons over long distances. For transporting ethanol, both existing pipeline infrastructure and new pipeline construction are being contemplated.
In companion PRCI projects, the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of pipeline steels and the performance of elastomer seals/gaskets are being studied. The SCC study not only includes piping grade steel, but also a cast steel that could be used in pumps. Many of the issues related to corrosion are being resolved in these projects. However, to completely address the effect of ethanol and ethanol-gasoline blends in pipeline systems, investigation of the effects of ethanol on other components, such as pumps, valves, screens, springs, and metering devices need further investigation. These components may have different materials (e.g., non-ferrous alloys), different types of loading, and different exposure conditions. This effort focused on investigating ethanol - materials compatibility issues for components involved in pump station facilities. Materials addressed included non-ferrous alloys, stainless steels, and elastomers/plastics. Follow on work is presented on the 2011 Ballot which will generate a guidelines document that incorporates the information of both phases into one comprehensive go-to reference manual. The guidelines document will provide a table that lists previously identified typical pump station and terminal components and their compatibility with FGE and FGE-gasoline blends.