Using ethanol in Petrol -- problem and solution

While I was in PCRA, I was associated with a research project  but only to the extent of believing its need importance and possibility. Actual work was carried out by Mr Ashok Bhaskarwar of IIT Delhi. 

The main work was around this problem --

If you mix ethanol in petrol, then ethanol can work as equally good fuel provided that it is 98% (or more) anhydrous. The ordinary ethanol which we produce (mostly in sugar factories) is only 88-90 % anhydrous. To take away water and make it 98% is very costly. But if we have the methodology for petrol-water emulsions that are stable ( in a certain phase they are) then they can use the less anhydrous ethanol and such method will be much cheaper. Mr Bhaskarwar  experimented with various emulsifiers and gave us results showing stable emulsions (their phase-curves) but their actual use for mixing up ordinary ethanol and then use in vehicles at petrol pumps, needed further experimentation at the level of oil companies and that could not be done despite the involvement of people like Dr Mashelkar, then DG CSIR and Mr Naik, then Minister of petroleum. The R&D lab of IOC was also of not much help.

Now once again with high petrol prices we need to invst in such research work.