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about a tablespoon of water in a gallon of gas to begin phase separation? This mixture is extremely corrosive and is what destroys car- buretors and fuel-system components. In 2-cycle equipment, this will destroy the engine if run on this almost pure ethanol at the bottom of the fuel system. E85 (a fuel mixture of 85-percent ethanol and 15-percent gasoline) and E15 (a fuel mixture of 15- percent ethanol and 85-percent gasoline) may be good for auto- mobiles, but they are not approved for use in power equipment by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and can cause serious damage to the engine or fuel system (Figure 8). 2-cycle phase separation: Figure 9 and Figure 10 show an engine that has been destroyed from phase-separated fuel. The vial pictured in Figure 11 is from the fuel tank of the engine in Figures 9 and 10. In Figure 11, the fuel on top is gold in color because 2-cycle oil will only bond with the gasoline. The octane is also lower because the ethanol has separated from it and bonded with the water below. Approximately 3/4 of the clear fluid in the bottom of the vial is ethanol. The ethanol/water mix settles in the bottom of the fuel tank and is picked up by the fuel system, then delivered to the carbu- retor. The engine ran on this ethanol mixture, causing it to run extremely hot with no lubrication. This damage occurs in only a few minutes of operation. The engine also ran out of control, which poses serious safety concerns for the equipment operator. 4-cycle phase separation:The carburetor pictured in Fig- ure 12 and Figure 13 suffered from severe phase separation. More than likely, rainwater entered into the fuel system, creating the severe corrosion you see. This carburetor cannot be repaired, and must be replaced. Engine failure from varnished fuel: The piston and crankshaft assembly pictured in Figure 14 came from a 2-cycle engine that ran on stale fuel. The engine was hard to start and had low power. It ran long enough to gum all of the internal components, including sticking the rings. The majority of the general public is unaware of "phase sepa- ration" and that ethanol-blended fuel may often be the culprit causing some of the problems they experience with their power equipment. However, great strides are being made in the effort to educate the public about the negative effects of ethanol- blended fuels, and general awareness is on the rise. Yet there is still great opportunity to increase ethanol education, and ethanol education is the key to solving this dilemma. Brian O'Neil is Chief Business Development Officer for B3C Fuel Solutions. B3C utilizes advanced synthetic technology to develop new and improved products to protect engines from the adverse effects of today's modern fuels. B3C's core products can be found at retailers, as well as lawn and garden dealers and distributors throughout the United States. For more information, call 843-347-0482 or visit www.B3CFuel.com. All photos provided by and remain property of B3C Fuel Solutions. www.landscapeirrigation.com Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 LI Figure 13 Figure 14 Landscape and Irrigation 23