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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Fundamentals of fuel stability. Technical Report No. 6

Book ·
OSTI ID:6413829

Gasoline samples were aged by irradiation with ultraviolet light. Both heptane-soluble and heptane-insoluble gums were formed at constant rates during UV irradiation. The samples were analyzed before and after aging to determine the changes in aromatics content and in the concentration of sulfur and nitrogen compounds. The types of aromatics that reacted to form gum, in decreasing order of reactivity, were: alkyl benzenes, tetralins and indans, and naphthalenes. In the study of sulfur compounds, it was found that elemental sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, sulfides and disulfides reacted in gasoline aged by UV irradiation. Other types of sulfur compounds did not react. Sulfur compounds were not essential for gum formation. Nitrogen compounds were also reactive in gum formation. The main nitrogen compounds involved in gum formation were the basic compounds, such as pyridines, quinolines, anilines, and amines. Nitrogen compounds were not essential for gum formation.

OSTI ID:
6413829
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English