Fadi, thanks for the insight into this matter.
I did additional research and here is what I found.
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers have
established standards for E85.
ASTM Fuel Standard Specification
To be labeled and sold as "E85", the fuel must always have a
minimum content of 79% ethanol in summer months, 74% in transitional months, and 70% in winter months.
There is a chart that determines when is summer and winter per state.
Hawaii is summer for 12 months, and must have at least a 79% content all 12 months.
California is summer for 5 months and transitional for 7 months, and never winter.
Minnesota is "winter" from mid-October, to mid-May, and must only have 70%. It can have more, but not less. Minnesota is summer for only July. The rest of the time is in between, and must contain 74% minimum.
Incidently, the chart for Minnesota and Alaska is identical.
But in general, this is different for every state! How complicated can we get here folks!
Here's what else I found out. The gasoline and ethanol will separate if you mix them with 50% water. The water and ethanol will blend, and the gasoline will float to the top. So while a bit cumbersome, there is an easy way we can all test for this.
The following summary describes a "field test" procedure to determine the levels of hydrocarbon and alcohol in E85 . The following equipment is available from VWR Scientific, 800-932-5000 . Reference numbers are those used by VWR . Other equipment suppliers are available . 50 mL pipettes Cat . #52966-217 Safety bulb Cat . #53497-202 100 mL cylinders, Cat . #24762-117
Procedure for Determining Hydrocarbon Percent of Ethanol Fuel Samples
Safety Note: Hydrocarbon- and alcohol-resistant gloves are recommended when collecting samples and conducting tests . Additionally, eye protection should be utilized . Testing personnel should also carry water in plastic containers .
1. Using the suction bulb, pipette exactly 50 mL of fuel sample into the graduated cylinder.
2. Add about 48 mL of water to make the total liquid volume just under 100 mL.
3. Place a stopper in the cylinder and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
4. Carefully loosen the stopper to release any accumulated pressure; do not remove the stopper.
5. Close the stopper again and place the cylinder upright on a level surface. Allow the mixture to sit for about 15 minutes.
6. Record the total volume of liquid by reading the lowest part of the upper meniscus (the curved interface between the liquid and air).
7. Record the total volume of the alcohol/water layer by reading the lowest part of the lower meniscus (the curved interface between the two liquid layers).
Calculation • The hydrocarbon percent is calculated by:
2.1 + 1 .94 x (total volume - alcohol/water volume)
• Assuming the sample was an ethanol/hydrocarbon mixture, the ethanol percent is 100 minus the hydrocarbon percent .
Thanks Again Fadi for bringing this matter to light.
-John