Prediction of Physical Properties and Cetane Number of Diesel Fuels and the Effect of Aromatic Hydrocarbons on These Entities.

Abstract

The gross heat of combustion and cetane number of diesel fuels have been predicted from the experimental values of refractive index ; moreover, cetane number has also been predicted from the gross heat of combustion. These predicted values have agreed well with the experimental values. The effects of aromatic hydrocarbons (aromatics, single-ring aromatics, polynuclear aromatics) on such physical properties as density, refractive index, distillation temperature, kinematic viscosity, gross heat of combustion and cetane number of diesel fuels have been studied systematically. Density, refractive index, and distillation temperature (50% and 90%) increased with increasing mole fraction of polynuclear aromatics, but the gross heat of combustion and cetane number of diesel fuels decreased. The results showed that polynuclear aromatics affected the physical properties and cetane number of diesel fuels.