AM-96-23 GASOLINE VOLATILITY - ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS WITH BLENDING AND PROCESSING

Description:

Historically, gasoline volatility was driven by the economics of fuel composition in balance with good engine performance. Specification control was regulated by industry. Today gasoline composition and volatility is being increasingly controlled by environmental considerations in critical air-quality zones. Reformulation has required controls of both front-and back-end volatility commensurate with mid-composition adjustments to assure good driveability. Because of the introduction of oxygen, with the reduction of aromatics and olefms, fuIl-boiling reformulated gasoline has higher API gravity, is more costly, but cleaner burning. The Complex Model is structured to continue these trends. Processing needed for compliance will have a spill-over effect to conventional gasoline. The long-range trend will be to a U.S. gasoline pool of very clean, high performance fuel of balanced volatility which will be essential to compete with the alternatives offered for highway transportation. However, the next few years will be an evaluation period to determine the pace of reformulation and volatility adjustments.