Update: Ethanol-Blended Fuel Pumps
Following the completion of a research program to investigate safety concerns associated with dispensing highly concentrated ethanol-blended fuels, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) announced new safety requirements for E85 fuel dispensing equipment. UL research indicated that although certain materials found in commercially available dispensers can be expected to perform acceptably when exposed to motor vehicle fuels blended with high concentrations of ethanol, some materials experienced significant deterioration during research tests.
The new safety requirements address these material compatibility findings. One element of the research program included a long-term conditioning test, the results of which were used to assist UL in determining the necessary protocols for evaluating potential degradation of dispenser materials from exposure to E85. UL took the need for E85 dispenser requirements very seriously due to the unique characteristics of ethanol-blended fuels and believe the potential issues identified through this process will help promote the efficient, effective delivery of E85 as safely as possible.
