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cetane number
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cetane number

chemistry
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Quick Summary

The cetane number is a measurement of a diesel fuel's ignition quality. It indicates how quickly the fuel ignites under compression. This is determined by comparing the fuel's ignition lag to that of a mixture of cetane and methylnaphthalene.1

Cetane itself is a colorless, oily hydrocarbon (C16H34) found in petroleum. The cetane number is essentially the percentage by volume of cetane in a reference mixture that has the same ignition properties as the diesel fuel being tested. A higher cetane number means the fuel ignites more readily and burns more smoothly. This is analogous to the octane number used for gasoline, which measures resistance to knocking.213

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