93 vs. 87 Octane Chemical Difference

[03cobra#694]

I know what it does, and why.
What are the real chemical differences between the difference octanes? Just something I was wondering about. It’s funny, I hauled gasoline for years and could smell the difference, but really never knew what actually made them different.

 

[MFE]

I'm not a chemist but I remember from my time working with an oil company client that some of the compounds that produce higher octane are refined from other gasoline products and added back to others to raise the octane. But it's bigger than that, and the process and products have definitely changed over time:

Also, in before the first window licker who says higher octane gas burns slower.

https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Octane_History_2016.pdf

 

[TK1299]

The octane rating

 

[jeffh81]

Does the 2.7 require 93?

 

[DaleM]

More aromatics in higher octane fuel, it is what smells fast. Toulene and Xylene.

Me with a mop is like a frog riding a bicycle.

 

[03cobra#694]

Does the 2.7 require 93?

No

 

[TK1299]

Had to troll him a little. Haven't done it in a while

 

[Smooth]

Had to troll him a little. Haven't done it in a while

You beat me to it.

 

[03cobra#694]

Had to troll him a little. Haven't done it in a while

What trolling?

 

[TK1299]

What trolling?

It was nothing sir. Hope you're doing well and enjoying your new truck

 

[03cobra#694]

Hmm, must have missed something.

 

[RedVenom48]

I looked into this a while ago. If you look at the MSDS of say, Sunoco 100, toulene and xylene are listed as ingredients. What percent, they dont say but i suspect they have alot to do with the increased antiknock.

Some google searches bring up some camaro forums where guys add some toulene to like 10 gallons of 91 and add Klotz fuel lube. No clue of this works.

Any gasoline company guys here? Is it really just a shitload of toulene and xylene for anti knock?

 

[DaleM]

I looked into this a while ago. If you look at the MSDS of say, Sunoco 100, toulene and xylene are listed as ingredients. What percent, they dont say but i suspect they have alot to do with the increased antiknock.

Some google searches bring up some camaro forums where guys add some toulene to like 10 gallons of 91 and add Klotz fuel lube. No clue of this works.

Any gasoline company guys here? Is it really just a shitload of toulene and xylene for anti knock?

I did it in my 03 cobra and my 08 135i with high octane tunes.

Toulene is about 113 octane and xylene is about 118.

I never added lubricants because I never let the stuff sit in the car long. Used at road courses, drags, and scca events.

Me with a mop is like a frog riding a bicycle.

 

[03cobra#694]

I looked into this a while ago. If you look at the MSDS of say, Sunoco 100, toulene and xylene are listed as ingredients. What percent, they dont say but i suspect they have alot to do with the increased antiknock.

Some google searches bring up some camaro forums where guys add some toulene to like 10 gallons of 91 and add Klotz fuel lube. No clue of this works.

Any gasoline company guys here? Is it really just a shitload of toulene and xylene for anti knock?

I’m sure there’s something, but like you, I’d love to hear it from the horses mouth so to say.

 

[Weather Man]

Hmm, must have missed something.

It was more like a gentle grope.

 

[Weather Man]

Ford published some good stuff a while back, basically, the more uniform the gasoline (without oxygents) vaporizes and prevents soot formation during combustion, the higher the octane.

 

[03cobra#694]

Detonation and timing with boosted or high compression engines. The little twin turbo 2.7 in my truck has 10:3 and runs on 87...

 

[Weather Man]

Detonation and timing with boosted or high compression engines. The little twin turbo 2.7 in my truck has 10:3 and runs on 87...

It is amazing what computer control of timing allows them to get away with. It is definitely much harder to kill a motor with bad fuel now. I remember talking to my tuner about knock control on my 08 3V compared to what coyote is running now, it is another universe.

 

[COOL COBRA]

Toluline. Higher octane, more additives. That's what makes the smell. And the increased octane.
Diesel fuel from the rack, where tank trucks load have the "diesel" smell. In OK,TX, where it's fresh from the refinery, it has a certain smell. Farther in Country, Midwest, it loses the smell from the time it leaves the refinery, trucked to fuel dumps, then trucked to stations.
Age/time from refinery, plus aeration/pumping makes it lose the "crisp" diesel smell.
I'm not a refinery guy, I'm a drilling guy. But if the general public knew what it takes to get it from the ground to the pump, they'd be more understanding of prices.
Not including the OPEC shitstorm, getting gas/oil from the ground to the consumer is a monumental achievement. And I do it every day.

 

[RedVenom48]

Even trying to get a few gallons of either Toluene or Xylene to mix with pump 91/93 will cost almost as much as findin a station with pump 100 unleaded. Look at these prices for 5 gallons of Xylene:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kleanstr...Gallon-for-Thinning-Oil-Based-Paint/403649816