I am doing research on the topic Increasing octane number of gasoline using amino-functionalized CNTs. However, most the papers I read just notice that CNTs are useful additives for increasing the octane number or CNTs can act as a burning rate catalyst without any explanation for the catalytic mechanism.
Is there any document about the catalytic mechanism of CNTs or exhaustively explain how CNTs can boost the octane number?
from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169433209017656
Abstract
The octane number is one of the characteristics of spark-ignition fuels such as gasoline. Octane number of fuels can be improved by addition of oxygenates such as ethanol, MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether), TBF (tertiary butyl formate) and TBA (tertiary butyl alcohol) as well as their blends with gasoline that reduce the cost impact of fuels. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are as useful additives for increasing the octane number. Functionalized carbon nanotubes containing amide groups have a high reactivity and can react with many chemicals. These compounds can be solubilized in gasoline to increase the octane number. In this study, using octadecylamine and dodecylamine, CNTs were amidated and the amino-functionalized carbon nanotubes were added to gasoline. Research octane number analysis showed that these additives increase octane number of the desired samples. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermal gravimetry analyses (TGA) were used for characterization of the prepared functionalized carbon nanotubes
Also to clarify. Octane enhancers do not catalyze burning rate. The goal of octane enhancers is to prevent pre-ignition in a gasoline engine as a result poisons like lead are very good octane enhancers and compounds that ignite readily have low octane.
https://www.sae.org/publications/technical-papers/content/922359/
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering