No.4（2009）4.A Speciation of Bio-Fuel by Easy C-14 Measurement

Masaaki Sat, Masaru Nakamura, Masao Yamazaki

  Gasoline containing bioethanol (E-gasoline) is being promoted. We developed a simple method for determining the bioethanol content in E-gasoline. Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) was employed based on the principle that 14C exists in bioethanol but not in synthetic ethanol. Bioethanol was extracted in two steps by water from 3% E-gasoline (E3). Their C-14 radioactivity was measured by LSC, and converted to the amount of bioethanol. The bioethanol content in E-gasoline was determined from the amount of bioethanol in the water phases. It appears that the method can be used to determine bioethanol content in E-gasoline quickly and easily.

Keywords

E3 gasoline, water extraction, liquid scintillation counter, carbon-14

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