Office of Transportation and Air Quality

EPA-420-F-11-047

December 2011

EPA Announces Notice for Regulation 

of Fuel and Fuel Additives: 

Modification to Octamix Waiver

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing notice 

and seeking comment on a request from Spirit of 21st Century 

LLC to allow an alternative corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, to be 

used within Texas Methanol’s gasoline-alcohol fuel, also known as 

OCTAMIX.

Elements of this Notice

This notice provides notice to the public and seeks comment on the request from 

Spirit of 21st Century LLC to allow an alternative corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, to 

be used within Texas Methanol’s gasoline-alcohol fuel, also known as OCTAMIX. 

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/l) of Petrolite TOLAD MFA-10 corrosion inhibitor3

. In the OCTAMIX waiver, the Agency invited other corrosion inhibitor manufacturers 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.

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Regulatory Announcement

53 FR at 3637.
Regulatory Announcement

2

On March 23, 2011, Spirit of 21st Century LLC requested EPA allow the use of its alternative 

corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, in the OCTAMIX gasoline-alcohol fuel blend which otherwise 

would not be allowed under the waiver. Spirit of 21st Century LLC subsequently followed up its 

March 23rd request with additional information on May 17, 2011 and August 15, 2011. TXCeed is a fuel additive formulation consisting of a corrosion inhibitor.

EPA will examine the data submitted by Spirit of 21st Century LLC, along with all comments 

received from interested parties, to determine whether use of the corrosion inhibitor, TXCeed, 

in place of the original corrosion inhibitor TOLAD MFA-10, would cause or contribute to 

vehicles or engines failing to meet their emissions standards when using OCTAMIX. If use of 

TXCeed does not cause or contribute to such failures, EPA will modify the OCTAMIX waiver 

to allow the use of TXCeed 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, TXCeed, 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. The notice rule solicits comments on allowing this alternative corrosion inhibitor. 

Public Participation Opportunities

We welcome your comments on this notice. Comments will be accepted for 30 days beginning 

when this notice is published in the Federal Register. All comments should be identified by 

Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0893 and submitted by one of the following methods:

Internet: www.regulations.gov

E-mail: A-and-R-Docket@epa.gov

Mail:

Environmental Protection Agency

Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center (6102T)

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20460

Hand Delivery:

EPA West Building

EPA Docket Center (Room 3340)

1301 Constitution Avenue NW

Washington, DC
Regulatory Announcement

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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