One obstacle to increased use of E85 will fall when Underwriters Laboratories begins certifying fuel dispensers, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are contributing data that could fuel the process. While E85, an alcohol fuel mixture, can help meet the goal of displacing 20 percent of gasoline with biofuels within 10 years, there must first be assurances that the dispensing equipment is safe. Consequently, UL, North America's leading safety testing and certification organization, recently announced the establishment of safety requirements. ORNL's Ron Graves of the lab's Engineering Science and Technology Division is leading a team conducting long-term dynamic testing of materials to be used in E85 dispensers. The concern focuses on potential deterioration of materials exposed to highly concentrated ethanol-blended fuels. Other partners in this UL-funded project are the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
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