Improvement of octane number of local gasoline by the addition of selective organic compounds

The main objectives of this work were preparing of local gasoline from KAR refinery and improving its research octane number (RON). Some organic chemical compounds were selected as additives (alcohol, aromatic, and ketone) to enhance the RON of the KAR refinery gasoline. These compounds were added to the gasoline in different volumetric ratios (0.5, 2.5, 5, and 7.5vol %) and included ethanol, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, butanol, benzol, as alcohols, benzene, toluene, xylene, and aniline as aromatics, and acetone as ketone. Zeltex 101XL device was used to measure the RON of the blends. Most of the organic compounds were succeeded to pass the RON of KAR refinery gasoline from normal gasoline to premium gasoline (according to region gasoline quality specifications-see appendix A). The best group of chemicals was the aromatics, especially Xylene then Toluene, that showed a positive effect in 2.5vol% and the best impact performed by Xylene in 7.5vol% was the increase in RON into 94.4. This is very close to pass the normal gasoline to super gasoline (RON 95), the highest allowed RON in the region. Acetone behaved like aromatics and 2.5vol% was enough to convert the gasoline from normal gasoline to premium gasoline. On the other hand ethanol showed effect in 7.5vol%, isopropyl alcohol started to affect in 5vol%, and benzol in 7.5vol%. butanol was the only additive that failed to improve the octane number. Mixtures of chemicals were used to improve RON of KAR refinery gasoline in which mixed ethanol and IPA showed a positive effect toward the premium in 7.5vol%, and it was close to IPA alone. Mixtures of toluene and xylene showed an improvement starting from 2.5vol% and this effect was intermediate between each of xylene and toluene alone