Goodyear Develops Biodiesel Fuel Hose

Goodyear’s Engineered Products division has introduced what it says is the first alternative fuel dispensing hose verified by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL). The products are being introduced this week at the NAHAD hose and accessories distributors’ annual convention.

According to Keith Collett, industrial hose marketing manager for the company, a complete line of hose, including Goodyear Flexsteel, Ambassador, BC Gasoline and BC Marina, are available to meet the nation’s growing demand for clean burning biodiesel and E85 environmentally-friendly fuels.

Derived from natural vegetable oils, such as soybean, biodiesel fuel is blended with petroleum to produce a cleaner burning fuel that is sulphur-free. E85 is produced from corn husk that is converted to an alcohol mixture of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent gasoline.

“Current developments in the volatile crude oil market are making green fuels economically attractive as a renewable resource,” said Collett.

He said other rubber hose products could degrade when exposed to new fuel blends, but Goodyear’s are chemically compatible with biodiesel fuels and retain their physical properties after coming in contact with the fuels.

“The added rating to the Goodyear hose products now used to pump petroleum-based fuel enables Goodyear Authorized Distributors to supply service stations without stocking additional products,” he said.

According to the National Biodiesel Board, or NBB, there are more than 1,850 US distributors and retailers of biodiesel fuel with sales increasing in the country from 500,000 gallons to 36 million gallons from 1999 to 2004.