There has been an effort for years to find a replacement fuel for avgas that does not have lead in it, due to the dangerous effects of lead on people and envirionment.I just read the article in Airventuree news and heard a talk on it by the reps for GAMI. .
To parashrase , best I can without notes: Several firms were participating in developing the new fuel as part of a govt/industry program, something like PAFI?, don't have the exact name.
Anyway, the agency narrowed it down as announced this week, to two Swift fuel and Shell. Of those two some say Swift is the closest. They will contiiune till 2018 to devlop.
Meanwhiile GAMI did not participate in the govt sponsored program, rather has developed their new fuel on their own outside the program and the gAMI fuel seems to meet most of the 5 or so main requirements. Being 100 oct is the first reqirment, others are must be ok with fuel system gaskets bladders etc, and compatable with current avgas mixing.
I guess we will see in the next few years what develops. And if GAMI or anyone else does come up with the "right stuff" fuel, I hope they get an even chance to have it tested.
As you can imagine there is a lot of $$$ at stake and lots of airplanes that need it. Sure lots of planes may run on less than 100 oct but some of the best and most historic do better on 100.
Lead is a poison , but I don't know how much a problem the small amount of lead remaining in 100 low lead is to the larger picture of the environment. Lead has been a sure way to get that last few octane numbers since WWII, and a lot of research has gone inot trying to clean it up as it were, but no panacea has jumped out. It took a lot of work and expense but car exhaust is much cleaner than years ago and city air has benefited. Don't think planes can as easily accomadate catalytic converters and all the rest.