Methanol and Ethanol

Methanol and ethanol are two forms of alcohol fuel receiving the most attention. Both are made from non-petroleum products. Methanol can be produced from coal, and ethanol can be made from farm products such as sugar cane, corn, and potatoes. Both alcohols have a higher octane number than gasoline. High heat of vaporization, however, indicates that the use of alcohol could give harder starting problems than gasoline, which means a need for a larger fuel tank and larger jet sizes in the carburetor. However, it requires less air for combustion, which compensates for the high caloric values. Ethanol is the most common fuel additive; it's an alcohol made from vegetable matter. Some areas require the addition of oxygenates in gasoline, because they reduce carbon monoxide emissions by as much as 39%%. They also raise the octane level of the gasoline.