Is gasohol a fossil fuel

Answer 1

Yes, it is.

Gasoline in the US is mandated to contain an "oxygenating" agent (octane enhancer). In the past this agent has been methyl tetra-butyl ethane or MTBE. (Prior to this it was Tetraethyl Lead which also had a slight lubricating effect. )This has as of late been discovered to be a hazardous substance ( as was TEL) and has been replaced primarily with ethanol, which is made from corn (maize).

In the 1970's this had been done on a smaller scale and the result led to the coining of the term "Gasahol", which at the time, was detrimental to the operation of carbureted engines, because alcohol corrodes the bronze the carburetors were made from. Today, alcohol comprises from 5 -50% of the content of gasoline on the market (dependent mostly on location). Gasohol in the 70's contained from 5 to 10% alcohol by contrast. Today's engines contain little to no bronze that can be corroded by it.