Sheldon Herbstman

Effect of Diesel Fuel Composition and Additives on the Buildup of Injector Deposits

A variety of diesel fuels were investigated to develop an injector test to evaluate detergent activity. In this test a 6.2 liter GM engine with indirect injector capabilities was run for either 15 or 50 hr. The injectors were then rated by air flow for plugging

Alcohol/Ester Fuels from Synthesis Gas

It is estimated that, by 1990, 55 percent of the world’s gasoline market will no longer contain lead antiknock compounds [1]. This shift to unleaded and low-lead gasolines will raise clear octane requirements by about two octane numbers in the United States and Europe, and while this increase could be satisfied by higher-severity processing in the refinery, octane improvers will become an increasingly attractive alternative. Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) has been tagged as the favored octane booster, but its production will be limited by the availability of suitable isobutylene streams [2,3]. Other major competitors for the octane improver market include gasoline-grade tertiary butyl alcohol (GTBA) [4,5], methanol [5,6], ethanol [7–9], and toluene [1]. Ethyl fuel [10], comprising mixtures of ethanol and methyl acetate, has also been tested. The cited benefits [4,8] of using such blending oxygenated compounds include a) deferred capital requirements for increasing gasoline octane, b) improved ability to cope with more severe lead restrictions, c) improved front end octane performance, and d) reduced exhaust emissions of air pollutants.