Thanks for the correction, I did indeed leave the word "rating" off of
the end of that sentence (although "octane" is a common enough
abbreviation for "octane rating"). I also should have not implied that
methanol was commonly added to the gasoline that most people buy at
the gas pump, ethanol being preferred because of lower toxicity and
corrosivity.

While ethanol and methanol may not be as effective as other compounds,
the "blending number" of ethanol is 118, meaning when blended with
gasoline it boosts octane rating more than suggested by its rating in
pure form of 100 (R+M)/2. 10% ethanol can boost the octane rating by
3. Alcohols are in fact added to many common gasolines to boost octane
rating.

%mod%

(JAXAshby) wrote in message ...
mod knock it off. even 25% alcohol to gas hardly raises the octane
---------------- rating ------------------ at all. you have been reading
1940's Popular Mechanix mags again. tsk tsk

Depends on the alcohol, but the most common added to gasoline are
ethanol and methanol, each with octane numbers of 100 or so. They
boost the octane.