Cetane number composition and relationships of diesel
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Dear teachers: What is the relationship between the cetane number of diesel and its chemical composition?
The cetane number of diesel is an important indicator reflecting its resistance to detonation. The cetane number of diesel is related to its chemical composition; the higher the content of straight-chain hydrocarbons in diesel, the higher its cetane number. The cetane number is the ratio of n-hexadecane to a-methylnaphthalene. The indicator of a gasoline’s resistance to detonation is its octane rating; the higher the content of isomeric alkanes in gasoline, the higher its octane rating and thus its better resistance to detonation. The octane rating is the ratio of octane to n-octane.
Due to the differences in components, the cetane number of diesel produced by various units varies; diesel produced through atmospheric and vacuum distillation has a higher cetane number, while that produced via catalytic processes has a lower cetane number, around 25 only