General:
What exactly is mmt® fuel additive?
Why is mmt® used in gasoline?
How much mmt® fuel additive is added to unleaded gasoline?
Where is mmt® approved for use?
Do all refiners use mmt® fuel additive?
Vehicle:
Is mmt® fuel additive safe for all vehicles?
Why is there apparent controversy over mmt® use in vehicles?
If mmt® is cleaner burning, why does the Auto industry oppose mmt®?
Does the World Wide Fuel Charter (WWFC) impact mmt®?
Environment:
Is Manganese safe for people?
What about airborne manganese?
Does the use of mmt® fuel additive present a health risk?
Does the U. S. EPA have concerns about mmt® fuel additive and health?
What exactly is mmt® fuel additive?
It is a thermally stable organic liquid whose main ingredient is manganese. It is compatible with all fuels and has been safely in use around the world for over 30 years. It is commercially available as HiTEC® 3000 Octane Improver.
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Why is mmt® used in gasoline?
mmt® can be added to gasoline without the need for additional refinery processing and without altering gasoline volume, volatility, or energy content. By acting as a more efficient octane booster than ethanol or MTBE, it provides an economic way to produce high-quality gasoline.
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How much mmt® is added to unleaded gasoline?
A maximum of 0.018 grams Manganese per litre: a few drops per gallon.
Just one drop of mmt® is sufficient to raise octane by approximately two numbers.
One drop of mmt® provides octane equivalent to 70,000 ppm methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), which otherwise amounts to seven percent of the gasoline by volume.
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Where is mmt® approved for use?
mmt® Fuel Additive is approved and used in all regions of the world. mmt is currently used in the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia, as well as in Central and South America. Over 150 refiners in 45 different countries benefit from its use.
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Do all refiners use mmt® fuel additive?
No, depending on refinery configuration and market demand, some refiners do not need to use mmt®.
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Is mmt® fuel additive safe for all vehicles?
Yes, extensive testing and decades of real world experience shows that vehicles have operated satisfactorily. Additional vehicle testing (over 16 million km) demonstrates clearly that even the latest vehicle technology performs well on mmt®.
In fact, mmt® Fuel Additive has been shown to have a positive effect on durability and performance of catalytic converters and oxygen sensors.
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Why is there apparent controversy over mmt® use in vehicles?
The Automobile Industry has claimed, contrary to independent findings, that mmt® impairs vehicle emission systems. The EPA and Canadian Government have both ruled independently that no such impairment has ever been scientifically demonstrated.
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If mmt® is cleaner burning, why does the Auto industry oppose it?
mmt®, like any of the other disfavoured fuel components identified in the automobile industry’s Worldwide Fuel Charter (WWFC), increases the range of fuels that must be accounted for by vehicle manufacturers when they design and test the vehicles they produce. This increase in fuel variation has significant cost implications for the automobile industry, and provides a clear financial incentive to seek tighter fuel specifications, including specifications that restrict use of mmt®.
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Does the World Wide Fuel Charter (WWFC) impact mmt®?
The WWFC serves the interests of the automobile industry, reducing variation in fuel specifications and lowering costs to meet regulatory emission targets. The WWFC attempts to prohibit the use of a wide range of fuel components, including mmt®, based on alleged concerns about harm to vehicle emission control systems. In the case of mmt®, these allegations have never been confirmed in any credible independent reviews when all data was rigorously examined.
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Is manganese safe for people?
Yes, it is an essential element for good health. It is the 12th most common element on earth, naturally present in the air we breathe and abundant in the food we eat. Tea and bananas are two examples of numerous foods that are significant sources of dietary manganese. Over-the-counter vitamins and dietary supplements also contain manganese.
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What about airborne manganese?
Human exposure to manganese occurs naturally via dust and dietary intake. Airborne manganese at standard levels presents no risk to health; high levels associated with some industrial processes are undesirable. Reference levels have been developed to guide occupational exposure and other high-risk groups.
Independent Canadian studies show that ordinary people are exposed to more airborne manganese from riding underground trains, or from nearby steel mills, than from vehicle emissions.
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Does the use of mmt® fuel additive present a health risk?
While mmt® like any other gasoline related compound presents certain inherent risks if misused, independent comprehensive reviews by government bodies such as Health Canada and the French Ministry of Environment have clearly stated that mmt® usage in gasoline does not present a health risk.
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Does the U. S. EPA have concerns about mmt® fuel additive and health?
The EPA approved the use of mmt® Fuel Additive in the U.S. several years ago, and there is no current data to suggest any adverse impact on health or environment. Additional health studies, currently being completed at the request of the EPA, continue to support the extensive existing knowledge base that mmt® presents no threat to health or the environment.
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