Corrosion of Metals and the Effectiveness of Inhibitors in Ethanol Fuels

The purpose of this study was to determine the corrosivity of hydrated ethanol fuel, and to determine the effectiveness of soluble corrosion inhibitors in preventing this corrosion. Electrochemical techniques and laboratory immersion tests were used to measure the corrosion rate of certain fuel system metals in ethanol contaminated with water and other impurities. On the basis of chemical analysis of commercial fuels and corrosion rate measurements, a corrosive fuel mixture was formulated that was used to test the effectiveness of commercial inhibitors. Based on our tests, it would seem that inhibitors provide a reasonable method for preventing corrosion when hydrated ethanol fuel is used.