Fuel ethers have been playing an important role in improving air quality in Europe. Alongside the improvements in car technology over the past years, the use of fuel ethers as petrol components have, both directly and indirectly, contributed to cleaner air in Europe.
Direct improvement of air quality is obtained thanks to the oxygen content of fuel ethers. Adding oxygen to petrol enables a more complete combustion of the fuel and therefore reduces exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide (CO). When used as part of the petrol formulation, fuel ethers lead to a reduction in emissions of exhaust pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulates (PM).
In comparison to the alcohols used in their production, fuel ethers reduce the overall vapour pressure of petrol and the related evaporative emissions to air, which causes ozone. In fact, fuel ethers have the lowest ozone forming potential of all the oxygen containing octane boosters. They contribute to lower evaporation and permeation of high volatile organic carbons in the finished petrol, which in turn means less ozone formation. Therefore, fuel ethers help indirectly to reduce emissions of toxic substances in the air.
