Re: Anyone with High Octane Gas BTDT's

["Jeffo" <jeffo@direct.ca>]

holger.winzer@t-online.de (Scott Fisher) wrote:

>>Octane is actually the name of a molecule; I think it's got 8 benzene
>>rings, hence the "oct-" part of the name, but oil-company chemists on
>>the list are invited to educate me if I'm mistaken.

2,2,4-trimethylpentane, also known as isooctane, has an "octane number" of
100.
eg., Heptane has an octane number of 0, of course.

for those that are interested:
        CH3  CH3
         |          |
CH3CCH2CHCH3
         |
        CH3
2,2,4-Trimethylpentane

Straight-run gasoline undergoes a process known as catalytic cracking... the
kerosene cut (C11-C14) is cracked into smaller molecules at high temp on a
silica-alumina catalyst. (major gasoline-range products of cracking are
C7-C10 branched-chain molecules with high octane ratings)

Tetraethyllead (CH3CH2)4Pb used to be used..... leaded gas

Now, Oxygenated compounds like methyl tert-butyl ether [MTBE;CH3OC(CH3)3]
and ethanol (CH3CH2OH) are used instead of tetraethyllead to boost the
octane.

There you have it, this is alright, I think...

Jeff O'Brien
ICQ #12871025
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