Leaded and unleaded gasoline: what are they and their differences

What is the difference between unleaded gasoline

If you remember your school chemistry lessons, then the concept of octane number will be familiar to you.
This means that at a certain level of compression, spontaneous combustion of gasoline occurs. The higher this indicator, the greater the level of compression required for detonation. Remember how the piston approaches its maximum point. The fuel should not spontaneously ignite until the piston reaches this value. But this situation is ideal and cannot occur often. If you cannot use harmful tetraethyl lead, then you can only use fuel of a very high degree of purification. This is the main difference between unleaded gasoline.

Leaded, harmful gasoline has a detrimental effect on the driver, passengers, and all other road users. In addition, damage is caused to the car.

The law states that all fuel manufacturers are required to use a dye to be able to distinguish the type of gasoline. But, unfortunately, in fact this requirement is not always fulfilled, despite criminal liability.

The only way to protect yourself is to use certified gas stations for refueling. Take care of your health and car and do not refuel from private companies.

Owners of foreign-made cars and some domestic car models are faced with the instruction in the service book “Use only unleaded gasoline.” The same warning can be found around. Many people don’t even realize that leaded and unleaded gasoline have significant differences between them.

Not everyone knows that gasoline can be leaded or unleaded.

What are the differences between leaded and unleaded gasoline?

To tell the difference between leaded fuel and unleaded gasoline, you need to know how they are produced. When tetraethyl lead is added to low-octane liquids, a toxic substance is formed, but it has high performance characteristics. The result is leaded gasoline. The higher the OC, the lower the risk of detonation (spontaneous fuel explosion).

Unleaded gasoline has a slightly different production technology, as it undergoes additional stages of purification from harmful impurities, including sulfur, lead and their derivatives. It also contains more environmentally friendly additives (aromatic amines, ethyl alcohol, methyl tert-butyl alcohol, ferrocene, etc.). It is unlikely that you will be able to notice the difference without special equipment. Additive standards are regulated by GOST legislation.

Does ideal gasoline exist in nature?

Great Encyclopedia of Oil and Gas
Octane is the eighth representative of the simplest hydrocarbons. A liquid, oily substance contained in petroleum that provides ideal parameters for engine operation. Namely, octane is able to withstand high temperatures and does not ignite or detonate during compression. This ensures a high efficiency of the engine. The chemical compound with the formula C 8 H 17 is ideal gasoline.

It would seem, what could be simpler? It is necessary to extract 10 percent of the octane from the processed oil and send it to gas stations, cans, tanks and gas tanks. But it was not there. Octane, containing 8 carbon atoms, felt comfortable in company with other hydrocarbons contained in oil. But it categorically refused to separate into a separate substance, and disintegrated into compounds with a smaller number of carbon atoms

It was important to bind the molecule so that it contained 8 carbon atoms, more precisely, 8 methyl groups. This is where the term octane number was born.

In fact, this number determines the percentage of octane in gasoline. The gasoline released by distillation contained from 30 to 50 percent octane, but this was not enough for the smooth operation of the engine.

A little history.

Even when automobile production was just beginning, many scientists were already studying the issue of fuel detonation during its combustion. To avoid this phenomenon, petroleum products had to be subjected to complex, expensive technological processing. Automakers wanted to increase the octane number as cheaply as possible. And they managed to do this using tetraethyl lead - Pb(CH3CH2)4 . By the way, even today the presence of this toxic organometallic compound in the fuel is the main difference between unleaded gasoline and leaded gasoline; it is not present in unleaded gasoline.

Is it possible to distinguish gasoline by eye or smell?

Mining of oil and gas

First of all, it is worth noting that in all large cities of the Russian Federation, since 2002, the sale of leaded gasoline at gas stations has been prohibited. However, in the outback the situation is far from ideal, so you can easily end up with counterfeit unleaded alcohol or a deadly mixture of two types of fuel.

How can you tell whether gasoline is leaded or not, and is it possible to distinguish gasoline by smell or color? According to existing European and Russian standards, normal unleaded gasoline is a colorless transparent liquid. This can be clearly observed in glass containers (for example, in a jar).

Leaded fuel has a red or orange dye added to it, and the lead content can be smelled. To be more precise, leaded gasoline has a very strong unpleasant odor, which is significantly different from unleaded fuel.

Ways to increase octane number

The octane number can be increased in two ways:

Purification of gasoline from foreign impurities during the production process. This method is technologically more complex; distillation leads to higher prices for gasoline.
Leading is an increase in octane number by adding tetraethyl lead, an extremely toxic substance.

Tetraethyl lead affects the central nervous system, causing hallucinations and panic attacks. The substance evaporates at 0°C and can penetrate the human body even through the skin. If you inhale air with a concentration of tetraethyl lead of only 2% for 2-3 minutes, a person begins to have a severe cough and headache, accompanied by loss of concentration of movement.

The additive causes no less harm to the engine, and exhaust gases harm the environment.

Today, the production of leaded fuel is banned in Europe, the USA and Russia. But, despite the ban, the risk of refueling with “dirty gasoline” remains. Unnamed gas stations are especially guilty of this. In pursuit of customers, they are forced to reduce fuel prices, so they act illegally.

To protect yourself and your car from low-quality and dangerous petroleum products, RusPetrol recommends using TNK fuel cards for legal entities and citizens. The company cooperates only with serious oil refining companies whose products meet all regulatory requirements.

When you refuel at the RusPetrol gas station network, you will always be confident in the quality of your gasoline.

What is the difference between unleaded gasoline and leaded gasoline?

GOST Unleaded gasoline

In order to understand why it is extremely important to fill your car only with unleaded gasoline, you need to remember the school chemistry curriculum, and more specifically, what octane number is. This characteristic means that at a certain compression ratio, self-ignition of the fuel begins.

The higher the level of this indicator, the greater the compression ratio required for gasoline to detonate. In an ideal situation, gasoline should not ignite until the piston, located in the center of the engine, is as close to the highest point of its stroke as possible. At this moment, a spark will be given and the gasoline will ignite, after which the piston will move down and the main movement will occur.

If the fuel ignites before the piston reaches its maximum level, the piston stroke length will become shorter and, consequently, the work will be worse. Therefore, the urgent task of all gasoline manufacturers is to ensure that gasoline ignites only when the piston reaches its highest point. Since the use of tetraethyl lead as an additive to gasoline is prohibited in European countries and the United States, the best way remains to produce highly purified gasoline. First of all, it must be cleaned of sulfur impurities and other substances that negatively affect the quality of the fuel. This degree of purification is achieved using modern equipment and high-quality distillation.

Thus, it becomes clear how unleaded gasoline differs from leaded gasoline. It's no secret that leaded gasoline is harmful not only to the health of drivers, passengers and other road users. It is also destructive for the car itself. Under the influence of decay products, oxygen sensors are gradually covered with a coating of lead, which significantly affects their normal operation. The air-fuel mixture will not be created correctly and will begin. The worst effect is the use of unleaded gasoline on a catalyst, which quickly becomes unusable under the influence of harmful substances.

How can you distinguish unleaded gasoline from harmful leaded gasoline with the naked eye? In accordance with international safety requirements, manufacturers of leaded fuel are required to tint it with special dyes that would help distinguish it from harmless fuel. But in practice, such requirements are often neglected, despite the fact that such violations are subject to criminal liability up to imprisonment. Large companies will not risk their name and reputation and will not sell leaded gasoline under the guise of standard gasoline. Therefore, the best way to protect yourself from fraud is to refuel at certified gas stations. If you refuel from private owners, there is always a risk that they will mix cheap fuel with tetraethyl lead and offer it under the guise of .

Of course, unleaded alcohol also contains unsafe elements that, when burned, form harmful substances that are released into the atmosphere. But their content is kept to a minimum. In addition, gasoline purification technologies are improved every year, and the quality of the fuel must meet the requirements of GOST R 51105-97.

Legislative bans on leaded fuel

The fight against the use of leaded gasoline began two decades after the start of its production, when its extremely toxic nature was convincingly proven. Workers in the United States constantly complained of dizziness, nausea and other signs of poisoning.

The use of tetraethyl lead as an octanating agent was banned in the United States only in 1972.
It was not possible to close all production of leaded gasoline in the United States for almost twenty years, since their cheapness paid for all the fines and sanctions.
It was not until 2000 that the production of leaded gasoline was completely stopped in Europe.
In Russia, the production of leaded gasoline was legally banned in 1986, but only in 2003 was the last enterprise that produced it closed.
Currently, only the poorest countries - Yemen, Afghanistan and several other states - have not abandoned the production of leaded gasoline.

The use of unleaded gasoline significantly extends the service life of vehicles. But the most important thing is that exhaust gases cause significantly less harm to human health and do not poison the environment.

The simplicity of producing gasoline with the addition of tetraethyl lead makes it possible to organize its semi-handicraft production almost in a garage. Criminal and semi-criminal elements take advantage of this, then sell their product illegally, at spontaneous sales points, or through a network of distributors. To avoid clogging the exhaust system of your car and premature engine failure, you need to buy gasoline only at proven gas stations, where its quality is guaranteed by the high reputation of the manufacturer and legal requirements.

Leaded gasoline

Leaded gasoline is intended exclusively as fuel for engines. Therefore, the use of leaded gasoline for lighting mixed with kerosene as fuel for kerosene stoves, blowtorches, gas cutters, lighters, and other purposes is prohibited.

Leaded gasolines are less stable, which is due to the decomposition of the ethyl liquid. This leads to a decrease in the detonation resistance of stored gasoline.

Leaded gasoline is practically harmless, or rather, poisonous, just like unleaded gasoline, if the following basic rules are followed when handling them: 1) do not spill leaded gasoline in enclosed spaces; if this happens, you need to wipe the spilled area first with a dry cloth, and then with a cloth soaked in kerosene; 2) remove clothing doused with leaded gasoline, wash in kerosene and hot water, and then ventilate in the open air; 3) when working with leaded gasoline, do not put food or cigarettes into your mouth without first washing your hands; After finishing work, wash your hands with warm water and soap; 4) do not use leaded gasoline for washing hands, engine parts, for cleaning clothes, do not pour it into the stove and do not use it for any purposes in the home.

Leaded gasoline must be stored, issued and received in accordance with the Rules on safety and industrial sanitation for motor transport enterprises during the operation and repair of vehicles running on leaded gasoline and the Sanitary Rules for the storage, transportation and use of leaded gasoline. Storing or carrying leaded gasoline in open containers is prohibited. The containers in which leaded gasoline is stored or transported must be marked in oil paint: Leaded gasoline.

Leaded gasoline differs from regular, unleaded gasoline by the content of ethyl liquid, which is used to improve anti-knock properties and increase the octane number of gasoline, which increases engine power and saves fuel.

Leaded gasoline must have a color that sharply distinguishes it from unleaded gasoline. Transportation of uncolored leaded gasoline is prohibited. Filling and unloading of leaded gasoline is carried out at the warehouses of the sender and the recipient by their means, always in a closed manner (ensuring the tightness of equipment and pipelines), under the supervision of the persons responsible for them. Filling is carried out to the level accepted for regular gasoline.

Leaded gasoline is poisonous and, unlike regular gasoline, has a different color.

Leaded gasoline is transported in bulk in tanks. Transportation of leaded gasoline in containers may only be permitted with the permission in each individual case of the Chief Sanitary Doctor of the USSR under the conditions specified in this permission.

Leaded gasoline is colored bright orange, yellow or blue, is poisonous, and has a toxic effect on humans both when inhaling the vapors and when entering the body through the skin. Leaded gasoline is especially dangerous because its toxic effect on the body manifests itself slowly and at first the poisoning is invisible to the victim.

Leaded gasoline contains ethyl liquid added to it to improve knock resistance.

Leaded gasoline can penetrate the body through the skin - when doused with it, when washing hands; through the respiratory tract - by inhaling its vapors; through the mouth - when eating, when sucking gasoline through a hose.

Leaded gasoline is used only as motor fuel; It is strictly forbidden to use it as a solvent, to wash hands, or to wash work clothes. It must be stored in a proper container. Large inscriptions are made on tanks, barrels, and cans with indelible paint Leaded gasoline. If leaded gasoline is spilled, it is degassed. The gruel is prepared immediately before use, and in order to avoid heating the gruel, bleach must be added to the water, and not vice versa. Degassing with dry bleach cannot be carried out: gasoline may heat up and ignite.

Leaded gasoline is intended only as fuel for engines.

Leaded gasoline must be stored, transported and used in accordance with the requirements of GOST 12 3.020 - 80 SSBT.

Leaded gasoline is gasoline to which tetraethyl lead (or tetramethyl lead) has been added to increase the octane number.

What is leaded gasoline

This type of fuel was widely used to fuel cars in the last century. Leaded gasoline has poor characteristics and contains tetraethyl lead, a substance that even in small quantities can cause death or significant harm to health.

The dangers of tetraethyl lead

One of the most common problems faced by gasoline engine manufacturers is spontaneous combustion of gasoline. If the standard speed of the flame front during combustion should not exceed 30 m/s, then when spontaneous ignition occurs it reaches 2500 m/s, releasing a huge amount of free energy. As a result, it is disrupted, which leads to irreversible consequences and the unit quickly fails.

In 1921, American scientists made a very important discovery - they came to the conclusion that tetraethyl lead, a toxic synthetic substance, can increase the resistance of even the lowest grade and cheapest gasoline to spontaneous combustion. This substance was of great interest to several of the largest corporations that produced fuel for cars.

Together they built a plant that began producing tetraethyl lead on an industrial scale. Manufacturers preferred to remain silent about what it was and did not inform consumers that the substance was very poisonous. Nevertheless, tetraethyl lead begins to evaporate already at zero air temperature, having an extremely negative effect on the central nervous system, as well as the cerebral cortex. The danger of this substance also lies in the fact that it can penetrate the human body even through intact skin. The main signs of tetraethyl lead poisoning are severe panic attacks and powerful hallucinations.

Despite the dangers of producing this substance, the plant operated for many years. Even in 1978, the lead level in the blood of almost all US residents was significantly higher than the norm. The plant was closed by order of the competent authorities only sixteen years later.

The reason for the high use of leaded fuel

Thanks to the widespread use of tetraethyl lead, large companies producing motor gasoline have made huge profits. They achieved this by saving a significant amount of money. Why buy expensive gasoline if you can buy the cheapest option and enrich it with inexpensive tetraethyl lead, which is produced in-house? It was in this way that it was possible to obtain leaded gasoline, almost completely identical in its characteristics to more expensive types of gasoline.

This gasoline is almost as dangerous as tetraethyl lead. That is why it is banned in all European countries and in the vast majority of US states. In Russia, leaded gasoline is still common and is not allowed for sale only in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The danger of this fuel is that it cannot be distinguished from unleaded fuel by eye.

The danger of using leaded gasoline led scientists to develop its synthetic analogue - biogasoline. Its difference from leaded gasoline is that ethyl alcohol is added to it instead of tetraethyl lead. This substance is also toxic, but it is not capable of accumulating in the body, and the breakdown products of ethyl alcohol are absolutely harmless. This type of gasoline is very widespread in Finland and Germany.

Vredika › Blog › Unleaded and Leaded Gasoline

At work I came across such a phrase as “Unleaded gasoline”.
And, of course, I wanted to know what it is, how it differs, and what it is eaten with. After all, we are accustomed to such names as AI-92, Ecto, DT and so on. And here’s what I found interesting. Most owners of modern cars can see a note in the technical operating conditions stating that only unleaded gasoline is allowed to be used in their car. Or there is a ban on the use of leaded. In essence they are one and the same. However, not everyone knows why this is and how to distinguish these two types of fuel.

When refining oil, the gasoline produced is far from what is needed. The octane number of such a mixture (reprocessed fuel) ranges from 56 to 60. Everyone understands that this is far from the standard indicator, for example 92 gasoline. The manufacturer needs to increase the octane number of the mixture in order to obtain normal and suitable fuel for cars.

There are two ways to increase the octane number, the first is dangerous, the one that is not used now. And the second one is more environmentally friendly. It is in these methods that the answer to our question lies.

Leaded gasoline is produced by mixing fuel with a certain type of additive. It must be said that the most effective way to create fuel. Additives based on tetraethyl lead are added to the original fuel (which was obtained during distillation); such additives greatly improve the quality characteristics of the fuel. However, this method has been prohibited for almost 20 years. Despite the high-quality mixture that is obtained when mixed with tetraethyl lead, such fuel is very toxic! It contains a lot of “volatile” lead in the exhaust gases, which then settles in the lungs, and this can cause “cancer” in humans. Therefore, such fuel is prohibited. Also, leaded gasoline (gasoline containing tetraethyl lead) has a very detrimental effect on the exhaust gas neutralizer, which is found in almost every car. Even after one refueling, the neutralizer can fail, and with it the lambda, the sensor that monitors the level of oxygen in the exhaust gases, will also fail. Thus, an ordinary foreign car may stall due to the use of leaded gasoline. Because many imported cars do not work, or work poorly with a damaged exhaust gas converter (catalyst).

Unleaded gasoline is obtained by adding other less effective additives, but more environmentally friendly (there is no lead in such additives). YES, there is also no specific additive, there can be dozens of different ones, it all depends on the fuel manufacturer. Both alcohols and ethers can be added to the fuel, which increase the octane number of the fuel. Such additives are less effective, but very environmentally friendly, do not contain lead, and this already says a lot. YES, and the car’s catalyst will run for many thousands of kilometers on such fuel.

Thus, unleaded is gasoline that does not contain tetraethyl lead in its composition, but is based on alcohol or ether additives.

It should be noted that in the USSR, a prominent representative of leaded fuel was 93 gasoline, which was banned approximately 20 - 25 years ago. Now in Russia only unleaded gasoline is used.

But here is an interesting HISTORY OF THE APPEARANCE OF LEADED FUEL! Since the beginning of the 20th century, when the automotive industry was just beginning to develop, the issue of fuel detonation in internal combustion engines was quite acute. After all, as a result of primary oil refining, fuel is obtained, which, according to its technical characteristics, is still unsuitable for use, since it has a low octane number. What it is? This is an indicator that shows the degree of pressure required for detonation. During primary oil refining, the octane number hardly reaches 60, while for most engines it is recommended from 92 (or at least 80). However, the secondary processing that helps increase the octane number is quite expensive and complex. And manufacturers began to think about the question: how can the degree of detonation be increased in a cheaper way? And such a way was found. In the 20s of the last century, General Motors were able to significantly increase the octane number of gasoline by adding ethyl impurities (tetraethyl lead). Soon they opened their own plant for the production of leaded gasoline. It was significantly cheaper than usual and at the same time more poisonous, but this fact was hushed up for a long time.

This is exactly how leaded and unleaded gasoline appeared on the American market, and soon in other regions. The price difference was significant. Information about its harm was hidden. Therefore, such gasoline became increasingly popular, and soon almost completely replaced unleaded. Information that during its production tetraethyl lead, which is harmful to the human body, is added, was hushed up, because we were talking about millions in profits. The facts of vapor poisoning at the factories that produced it were not made public and were explained by accidents in chemical production.

The situation changed only 20 years later, when the negative impact of leaded fuel on the environment and on humans was first proven. However, it was possible to completely shut down the production of such fuel in America only after another 30–40 years. Already in the early 80s in America there was a ban on the production of engines running on such fuel; after a few years, leaded gasoline completely disappeared from gas stations. However, in Europe, a ban on the use of leaded fuel has been in effect since 2000.

Unleaded gasoline

Unleaded gasolines are not colored.

Unleaded gasoline was first introduced in 1975 in the USA, Canada and Japan for vehicles equipped with catalytic converters. Therefore, all cars produced in these countries since then had to be designed to run on unleaded fuel.

Unleaded gasolines A-72 and A-76 are easily obtained by mixing ri-formats and catalytic cracking gasolines with light straight-run gasolines.

Unleaded gasoline AI-91 in terms of anti-knock properties in road conditions (road octane number) corresponds to leaded gasoline AI-93, which is ensured by the inclusion of the distribution coefficient of detonation resistance among fractions among the mandatory controlled and standardized indicators.

Automotive unleaded gasoline intended for export is produced without the addition of dye.

Automotive unleaded gasoline AI-93, produced in accordance with GOST 5.818 - 71 with the state Quality Mark, has a number of modified technical characteristics.

The use of unleaded gasoline has been introduced in all countries of the European Community.

For unleaded gasoline these values are 2 7, 2 8 and 4 0 g/mile respectively. Indeed, the use of reduced gases solves most problems related to environmental protection and meets the requirements for fuels of modern carburetor engines. The feasibility of using this type of fuel in large industrial centers is beyond doubt. But for a widespread transition to liquefied gases, it is necessary to organize the production of the required volumes of liquefied gases, their transportation and create a network of gas stations. Therefore, only partial replacement of gasoline with liquefied gazani is possible.

For unleaded gasoline, the volume of the hydrocracking process of 50 atm at a ratio of 0 6 is 1 3 times higher than for leaded gasoline; hydrocracking 150 atm, aimed at producing unleaded gasoline, appears already at a ratio of 1 8 in a volume of 8 4% sat. The volume of catalytic cracking when producing unleaded gasoline is 10 1% by weight. A further increase in the ratio to 1 8 leads to a reduction in the volume of the process to 18 1% wt., which is associated with the inclusion of 150 at. in the hydrocracking process schemes.

Although the use of unleaded gasoline reduces atmospheric pollution from exhaust gases, the most radical way to solve the environmental problem is the use of catalytic systems for afterburning vehicle exhaust gases.

The toxicity of unleaded gasolines and their combustion products is mainly determined by the content of aromatic hydrocarbons, especially benzene, olefinic hydrocarbons and sulfur. Aromatic hydrocarbons are more toxic than paraffinic hydrocarbons. If paraffins, in accordance with GOST 12.1.005 - 88, belong to the 4th hazard class, then benzene belongs to the 2nd class, and toluene – to the 3rd. When they burn, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (benzo-a-pyrenes) are formed, which have carcinogenic properties.

The transition to unleaded gasoline is carried out by changing gasoline production technology and using non-toxic anti-knock additives. The physicochemical properties of MTBE are close to those of gasoline. The addition of 10% MTBE to gasoline increases - I.

The tests were carried out on unleaded A-72 gasoline with different contents of actual and adsorption resins, which was achieved by mixing the original gasoline with different amounts of the same gasoline, previously aged by storing it in a thermostat at an elevated temperature.

The octane numbers of unleaded gasoline from hydrogenated raw materials, both according to research and motor methods, are 1 - 3 units higher than those of gasoline from unrefined raw materials; The octane numbers of leaded gasoline are usually 2 to 5 scale units higher.

Leaded gasoline - what is it and how did it appear?

In 1921, a solution to the octane problem was found. Two engineers from General Motors, Boyd and Midgley, wanted to help their friend, an entrepreneur who had built a small power plant. It was assumed that the engine would run on kerosene, but it malfunctioned, detonated heavily, and could fail at any moment because the kerosene had a low OC. The ability of tetraethyl lead to increase the octane number of kerosene was discovered as a result of a targeted search for a substance that can reduce engine detonation.

Tests carried out with gasoline on car engines also showed positive results. General Motors executives registered a patent for the discovery and, teaming up with two other corporations - DuPont and Standard Oil, created an enterprise that produces an anti-knock additive based on tetraethyl lead.

Lead turned out to be the very element that, having 4 valence bonds, was able to bind the required carbon atoms. The formula of tetraethyl lead is Pb(CH 2 CH 3) 4. Thus, ethyl radicals created the octane structure and reduced engine detonation.

Having received what they were looking for, the leaders of the Ethyl Corporation calmed down. They carefully concealed the facts of poisoning in their factories and denied the toxicity of tetraethyl lead. Thomas Midgley himself was poisoned by this substance and was treated for a long time, but he never admitted that his brainchild was harming the environment and people.

Even in the name of the enterprise that produced tetraethyl lead in America, they preferred to keep silent about the toxic metal so as not to scare people. The company was called EthylCorporation.

Why was such a fuel used so widely?

Thanks to the use of tetraethyl lead, fuel companies became rich. It’s so easy to buy cheap gasoline of terrible quality and enrich it with a cheap substance. This fuel was in no way inferior to the expensive one.

The gasoline obtained in this way is almost as dangerous as the substance itself that made it “better.” The danger is that it is impossible to easily distinguish such fuel from safe one. Our country still uses leaded gasoline.

Scientists have created a new type of gasoline called biogasoline, where, unlike leaded gasoline, ethyl alcohol is used instead of toxic tetraethyl lead. Its breakdown products are not harmful.

The dominance of leaded gasolines

Since until 2000, 80% of gasoline was produced containing tetraethyl lead, there was no official division into leaded and unleaded gasoline. In the first half of the twentieth century, when the planet was shaken by social cataclysms (wars, revolutions), society cared little about environmental and health problems. And there weren’t so many cars to feel their harmful impact on nature.

The era of leaded gasoline began in 1924 in America with that same enterprise, without lead in the name - “Ethyl Corporation”. In Russia, tetraethyl lead was not used until 1942 for two reasons:

High (in comparison with Los Angeles and Texas oil) quality of raw materials produced in Grozny and Baku;
In domestic cars, the compression ratio in carburetor engines was lower than in the same American ones.

But in 1942, the USSR received the first batches of American Studebekker trucks and fighter jets from the Atlanta countries, which were accustomed to running on leaded gasoline. Therefore, we first purchased and then launched the production of tetraethyl lead liquid.

After the war, by government decree they tried to ban the use of leaded gasoline in the capital and resort cities of the USSR, but this ban was not always implemented due to increasing traffic. Moreover, the developing automotive industry in the country increased engine power, including by increasing compression in internal combustion engine carburetors and using leaded gasoline. Oil fields discovered in the 60s solved the problem of the quantity of gasoline for the growing automobile and tractor industry, but the quality of Siberian oil turned out to be lower than that produced in the south. Thus, leading has become firmly established in the USSR.

Beginning of the End

Manufacturers of thermal power plants, who have held the planet in a gasoline vice for more than half a century. And it was important to reverse the influence of gasoline magnates on the ruling elite. America was the first to sound the alarm about the smoky air, which was especially noticeable in millionaire cities. A country where a car has long ceased to be a luxury and is purchased not for a family, but for every adult, where having a vehicle is made one of the conditions for employment, had to think about the environment and people’s health.

In 1972, the EPA agency in America, which deals with environmental issues, banned the use of thermal power plants in gasoline and the creation of engines designed for leaded gasoline. The manufacturers took the EPA to court, but lost. With this process begins the era of the fight against tetraethyl lead and leaded gasoline. From the beginning of 1976, and over the next 10 years, development and research was carried out in the field of production of high-octane gasoline without tetraethyl lead, and new engines were created.

Studies have shown that lead levels in the blood of Americans have dropped by 78% over the 18 years since 1976 as a result of prohibition measures.

Thermal power plant also settled in the country of the Soviets. But in the USSR, over the subsequent years, research was carried out in the field of increasing the octane percentage. And dye was added to gasoline containing TES as a preventive measure. In the USSR, work to abandon the use of thermal power plants began in the early 80s and was completed in the new Russia by the year 2000. The EEC also introduced a ban on the use of leaded gasoline in 2000, although some European countries did so earlier. Europe introduced gasoline standards that allowed the use of certain brands, but the acceptable standards became stricter from year to year.

Ferrocene has become one of the alternative additives in Russia. The compound is less toxic, formed as a result of the fusion of iron and an organic substance with a cyclic structure - cyclopentadiene. Work has been and is being carried out to create effective additives that increase the octane number without metal, since metals have a destructive effect on the engine.

It has been noticed that methyl and ethyl alcohol increase the octane number, but adding alcohol to gasoline is not a cheap pleasure.

Technical regulations requirements for gasoline

According to those regulations, gasoline produced in Russia must not contain additives based on:

gland;
manganese;
lead;
methanol;
monomethylaniline.

According to this regulation, fuel sold in Russia must comply with the fifth environmental class (K5). I would like to believe that stricter requirements for the quality of gasoline and liability for violations will discourage fuel sellers from “cheating” and deceiving buyers.

Many drivers, not wanting to take risks, fill their car with fuel whose octane number is higher than required. Is there any point in doing this?

What happens if instead of AI 92 you fill the tank with AI 95

Such a replacement will only be beneficial. Firstly, 95 will improve the dynamics of the car, not significantly, but it will improve. This becomes especially noticeable when overtaking. Secondly, if you use AI 95 in urban driving mode, fuel consumption is reduced by 15 - 20%. Along the highway, however, the difference will be approximately 3 - 4%.

Therefore, if the car is used in the city, without engine overload, then it is better to use AI 95 as the main type of fuel. Even taking into account the high cost, such a replacement will be economically beneficial.

If you switch from AI 95 to AI 92, then for cars designed for 95, this is only possible as a backup option. However, at the first opportunity, it is better to fill with gasoline recommended by the manufacturer.

Will there be a difference if instead of AI 95 you fill in AI 98

98-octane gasoline is produced for boosted and turbocharged engines.

There is no point in overpaying and pouring expensive fuel into a naturally aspirated engine. This gasoline will not add any advantages to the car, so changing from 95 to 98 octane is not worth it.

Summarizing the above, we conclude that you need to refuel your car only with fuel recommended by the manufacturer and only at proven gas stations. Avoid gas stations with greatly reduced gasoline prices. The pennies saved on fuel will cost thousands of rubles in repairs.

Many drivers are interested in the question, what is unleaded gasoline? Ignorance gives rise to many conjectures and rumors that have absolutely no basis. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully analyze this concept in order to clarify all the points and answer questions of interest. But first, we need to give some facts about gasoline.

Even at the dawn of the automotive industry, the problem of fuel detonation during compression was acute. To avoid this phenomenon, it was necessary to subject petroleum products to complex and expensive processing technology. Therefore, manufacturers were looking for a simple and cheap way to increase the octane number. As a result of experiments, it was found that tetraethyl lead copes best with this task. The presence of this element in the composition is the main difference between leaded gasoline and unleaded gasoline.

The discovery was immediately adopted and became widespread. But it’s no secret that most lead compounds are extremely toxic and negatively affect human health. Inhalation of leaded gasoline vapors leads to paralysis of the respiratory system and death of a person. Exhaust gases do not cause death so quickly, but they pollute the environment and lead to various fatal diseases. Therefore, leaded gasoline is banned in most countries of the world.

It is quite difficult to understand which gasoline is unleaded. According to international safety standards, fuel containing lead must be tinted with a special dye that would quickly distinguish it from safe fuel. But in practice this requirement is often neglected. Fortunately, violating the rules carries serious penalties, including prison time. And large companies that value their reputation will not risk everything for dubious benefits. Therefore, in order to protect yourself from buying leaded fuel, you should always refuel at certified gas stations, and not buy gasoline from private sellers.

Unleaded gasoline also contains a number of elements that, when burned, form harmful substances that enter the atmosphere. But their quantitative content is reduced to a minimum. In addition, fuel purification technologies are improved every year, which makes it possible to reduce the level of pollution from exhaust gases.

A little history

After experimental work with the design of the internal combustion engine, engineers came across a significant problem - the raw fuel actively detonated as soon as it was compressed. In order to eliminate this, the oil had to be subjected to complex processing, which ultimately increased the cost of the mixtures.

Manufacturers were in search of a method that would eliminate detonation as much as possible and would be cheap. After experimental searches, a compound was found - tetraethyl lead, which did an excellent job of the task.

It is the content of this component that has become the main distinguishing feature of how leaded gasoline differs from unleaded gasoline. Very quickly, tetraethyl lead began to be added en masse to fuel. After some time, doctors and environmentalists sounded the alarm - it turned out that lead compounds released during fuel combustion are extremely toxic to humans and the environment. After this, leaded gasoline was banned in almost all developed countries.

Danger to the car

Leaded fuel, when used in modern cars that meet the requirements of international standards, can render unusable the main component that is responsible for reducing toxic emissions. We're talking about a catalytic converter, which is better known as a catalytic converter.

This part of the vehicle is mounted immediately after the engine. It serves to ensure that the harmful substances coming out of it decompose into simpler compounds that are harmless.

There are honeycombs inside the catalyst. They are made from ceramics and also stainless steel. Honeycombs occupy a large surface area. They are covered with a thin layer of platinum-iridium alloy. It plays the role of a catalyst for chemical processes.

If someone uses leaded gasoline, this thin layer will be coated with lead. And then the catalytic converter will not be able to perform its functions. To replace a part you will have to spend a decent amount of money. Let's say, for a catalyst for the simplest Ford car you will have to pay up to 20 thousand rubles.

The working surfaces of the oxygen sensor are also coated with lead. As a result, the fuel mixture is not prepared correctly. Fuel consumption also increases. The power unit is not working properly.

If leaded gasoline gets into a vehicle, especially one made overseas, it can instantly cause all sorts of problems. The shock waves that appear during the detonation of such gasoline destroy parts of the power unit. They damage the cylinder head, piston and cylinder walls.

How gasoline is produced from oil

Oil is a complex mixture of chemical substances of different chemical composition, but it is based on liquid hydrocarbons (from pentane and above). All hydrocarbons, depending on their chemical formula, that is, on the number of methylene groups CH2, have different boiling points. This was the basis for the separation of hydrocarbons into fractions. Oil boiling temperature

Up to 100°C gives first grade gasoline;
Up to 110°C - special gasoline;
Up to 130°C - 2nd grade gasoline;

But the resulting product had a low octane number, and as a result the engine ran intermittently.

True, the highest OP was provided by the refining of Azerbaijani oil. With direct distillation, the octane number was 60-65. But even this was not enough.