EPA Announces Decision for
Regulation of Fuel and Fuel Additives:
Modification to Octa mix Waiver
Regarding TOLADMFA-10A
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing
modification of the Texas MethanoPs gasoline-alcohol fuel
waiver, also known as OCTAMIX, to allow the use of Baker
Hughes corrosion inhibitor, TOLAD MFA-10A.
Elements of this Notice
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 inhibitor3.
In the OCTAMIX waiver, the Agency invited other corrosion inhibitor manufac-
turers 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-12-026
June 2012
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On January 20, 2012, EPA published a notice in the Federal Register (77 FR 2979) announcing
receipt of Baker Hughes's request and inviting comment on it. The comment period closed on
February 21, 2012. EPA received comments from four commenters. All commenters were in
support of the request. Baker Hughes provided data showing their corrosion inhibitor, TOLAD
MFA'IOA passed the NACE corrosion test.5 With this notice, EPA is announcing its decision
to modify the OCTAMIX waiver to allow the use of TOLAD MFA'IOA 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, TOLAD MFA-10A, 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,
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
NACE Standard TMO172-2001.
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