EPA Announces Notice for Regulation
of Fuel and Fuel Additives:
Modification to Octa mix Waiver
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice
and seeking comment on a request from Spirit of 21 st Century
LLC to allow an alternative corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, to be
used within Texas Methanol's gasoline-alcohol fuel, also known as
OCTAMIX.
Elements of this Notice
This notice provides notice to the public and seeks comment on the request from
Spirit of 21st Century LLC to allow an alternative corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, to
be used within Texas Methanol's gasoline'alcohol fuel, also known as OCTAMIX,
The Texas Methanol Corporation received a waiver under CAA section 211(f)(4)
for a gasoline'alcohol fuel blend, known as OCTAMIX,1 provided that the resultant
fuel is composed of a maximum of 3.7 percent by weight fuel oxygen, a maximum of
5 percent by volume methanol, a minimum of 2.5 percent by volume cO'Solvents2
and 42.7 milligrams per liter (mg/1) of Petrolite TOLAD MFA'10 corrosion inhibi'
tor3. In the OCTAMIX waiver, the Agency invited other corrosion inhibitor manu-
facturers to submit test data to establish, on a case-by-case basis, whether their fuel
additive formulations are acceptable as alternatives to TOLAD MFA'10.4
1 OCTAMIX decision, 53 FR 3636 (February 8, 1988).
2 The co-solvents are any one or a mixture of ethanol, propanols, butanols, pentanols, hexanols,
heptanols and octanols with the following constraints; the ethanol, propanols and butanols or
mixtures thereof must compose a minimum of 60 percent by weight of the co-solvent mixture;
a maximum limit of 40 percent by weight of the co-solvents mixture is placed on the pentanols,
hexanols, heptanols and octanols; and the heptanols and octanols are limited to 5 percent by
weight of the co-solvent mixture.
3 Additional conditions were the final fuel must meet ASTM volatility specifications contained in
ASTM D439-85a, as well as phase separation conditions specified in ASTM D-2 Proposal P-176 and
Texas Methanol alcohol purity specifications.
4 53 FR at 3637.
SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
EPA-420-F-11-047
December 2011
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On March 23, 2011, Spirit of 21st Century LLC requested EPA allow the use of its alternative
corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, in the OCTAMIX gasoline-alcohol fuel blend which otherwise
would not be allowed under the waiver. Spirit of 21st Century LLC subsequently followed up its
March 23rd request with additional information on May 17, 2011 and August 15, 2011. TX-
Ceed is a fuel additive formulation consisting of a corrosion inhibitor.
EPA will examine the data submitted by Spirit of 21st Century LLC, along with all comments
received from interested parties, to determine whether use of the corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed,
in place of the original corrosion inhibitor TOLAD MFA-10, would cause or contribute to
vehicles or engines failing to meet their emissions standards when using OCTAMIX. If use of
TXCeed does not cause or contribute to such failures, EPA will modify the OCTAMIX waiver
to allow the use of TXCeed as an alternative corrosion inhibitor to TOLAD MFA-10,
Health and Environmental Impacts
There will be no adverse health or environmental impact as a result of allowing this alternative
corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, and the clean air benefits of EPA's gasoline motor vehicle fuel
programs will continue to be realized.
Gasoline Supply Benefits
This action may provide additional flexibility to the regulated community by allowing an
additional corrosion inhibitor for use in Texas Methanol's gasoline-alcohol fuel, also known as
OCTAMIX. The notice rule solicits comments on allowing this alternative corrosion inhibitor.
Public Participation Opportunities
We welcome your comments on this notice. Comments will be accepted for 30 days beginning
when this notice is published in the Federal Register. All comments should be identified by
Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0893 and submitted by one of the following methods:
Internet: www.regulations.gov
E-mail: A-and-R-Docket@epa.gov
Mail:
Environmental Protection Agency
Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102T)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460
Hand Delivery:
EPA West Building
EPA Docket Center (Room 3340)
1301 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, DC
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For More Information
You can access the rule and related documents on EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality
(OTAQ) Web site at:
www.epa.gov/otaq/fuels/registrationfuels/notices.htm
For more information on this rule, please contact Joe Sopata at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality (6406J)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 343-9034
E-mail: sopata.joe@epa.gov
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