Interpretation ID: aiam1051
3345 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 204
Los Angeles
CA 90010;
Dear Mr. Lillie: Thank you for your letter of January 30, 1973, and our sincer apologies for the delay in responding to your letter.; There are no Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards applicable t plastic fuel tanks. Standard No. 301, which includes the fuel tank in the crash performance requirements of the vehicle, makes no reference to the construction or design details of the fuel tank. A booklet briefly describing the issued standards is enclosed.; The Department of Transportation does not routinely receive and tes fuel tanks of the various manufacturers, however, the Department keeps abreast of technical advancements of these companies through technical society meetings and trade journals. it has been brought to our attention that Dow Chemical Company has done considerable work with high density polyethylene fuel tanks and offers an internal treatment of these tanks which is claimed to reduce considerably the permeation of gasoline through the walls. Further information may be obtained from the following source:; >>>Dow Chemical U.S.A., Plastics Department, Midland, Michigan 48640<<< Standard No. 116 is applicable to Hydraulic Brake Fluids and i included in the consolidated edition of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations, as per the enclosed order form.; The physical characteristics and labeling requirements of brake fluids including silicones, are included in this standard, a copy of which is enclosed for your information. Your inquiry concerning the use of silicones in automobiles can best be answered by the Original Equipment Manufacturers or the automotive companies. The interest of the Department in materials is primarily performance rather than design considerations, for example, an elastomeric material could be silicone, neoprene, or other elastomer, as long as the standards are complied with.; The Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety has issued standards that ar applicable to commercial vehicles engaged in interstate commerce, and some of those standards apply to fuel tanks. A portion of these regulations that pertains to fuel tanks is also enclosed for your information, along with an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making that concerns plastic fuel tanks (F.R., Vol. 36, No. 178, September 14, 1971). Additional information is available from the Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety, Federal Highway Administration, 400 Seventh Street, S.W., Washington D.C. 20590.; Sincerely, Robert L. Carter, Associate Administrator, Motor Vehicl Programs;