A Rapid Cetane Number Prediction Method for Petroleum Liquids and Pure Hydrocarbons Using Proton NMR

Our previous methodology of predicting the cetane number of middle distillates and heavy marine diesel fuels from hydrogen type distribution determined by proton NMR has been extended to cover the olefinic hydrocarbon structures and pure hydrocarbon compounds. Although, an ability to predict cetane numbers of olefinic fuels and pure hydrocarbons is not of immediate practical importance, from a more fundamental point of view, such a capability may lead to a better understanding of the ignition/fuel structure relationship in diesel engine combustion. The proposed technique is capable of predicting the ignition quality of almost all types of petroleum liquids including pure hydrocarbons.