Why is ethanol the preferred fuel oxygenate?
Fuel ethanol has several advantages over other oxygenated fuel candidates, such as methanol. It is far less corrosive and a much safer fuel to handle, since it is the same chemical found in beverage alcohol. Ethanol also has 33% more energy than methanol and when used in lower blend percentages, it will have little or no mileage effect. Fuel ethanol, a renewable fuel, is also readily available for fuel blending in North America, Brazil, and increasingly, in Southeast Asia.
