Mixture Formation, Distribution and Carburation

Abstract

Commercially available petrols are a complex mixture of hydrocarbons. The chemical differences between the separate hydrocarbons influence the combustion behaviour. Even when we consider hydrocarbons with the same number of carbon and hydrogen atoms in their molecules we can still find that their combustion behaviour is different, for the way in which the carbon and hydrogen atoms are linked together within the structure of the molecule has a profound influence on the manner in which it will burn. For example, normal-octane and iso-octane have the same chemical formula, C₈H₁₈.