A simple method to determine bioethanol content in gasoline using two-step extraction and liquid scintillation counting.
A simple method for determining bioethanol content in gasoline containing bioethanol (denoted as E-gasoline in this study) is urgently required. Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) was employed based on the principle that (14)C exists in bioethanol but not in synthetic ethanol. Bioethanol was extracted in two steps by water from E-gasoline containing 3% (E3) or 10% (E10) bioethanol. The (14)C radioactivity was measured by LSC and converted to the amount of bioethanol. The bioethanol content in E-gasoline was determined precisely from the partition coefficient in the extraction and the amount of bioethanol in the water phases: 2.98+/-0.10% for E3 and 10.0+/-0.1% for E10 (means+/-SD; n=3). It appears that this method can be used to determine bioethanol content in E-gasoline quickly and easily.
Yunoki
Shunji
S
Life Science Group, Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute, 2-11-1 Fukasawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-0081, Japan.
Saito
Masaaki
M
D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000379:methods; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / Q000379:methods; D004396:Coloring Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004736:Energy-Generating Resources; D000431:Ethanol / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D005742:Gasoline / Q000032:analysis*; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000737:chemistry; D012588:Scintillation Counting / Q000379:methods*
D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D004396:Coloring Agents; D005742:Gasoline; D011126:Polypropylenes; D000431:Ethanol