What chemicals make up gasoline?

Gasoline is a mixture of many different hydrogen- and carbon- containing chemicals (hydrocarbons). A typical gasoline mixture contains about 150 different hydrocarbons, including butane, pentane, isopentane and the BTEX compounds (benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylenes).

What are the effects of using gasoline?

Breathing small amounts of gasoline vapors can lead to nose and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, confusion and breathing difficulties. Symptoms from swallowing small amounts of gasoline include mouth, throat and stomach irritation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headaches.

What additives are added to gasoline?

Why gasoline additives The types of additives include oxygenates, ethers, antioxidants (stabilizers), antiknock agents, fuel dyes, metal deactivators, corrosion inhibitors and some that can’t be categorized. Oxygenates are fuels infused with oxygen. They reduce the carbon monoxide emissions created when burning fuel.

What hydrocarbons make up gasoline?

The typical composition of gasoline hydrocarbons (\% volume) is as follows: 4-8\% alkanes; 2-5\% alkenes; 25-40\% isoalkanes; 3-7\% cycloalkanes; l-4\% cycloalkenes; and 20-50\% total aromatics (0.5-2.5\% benzene) (IARC 1989).

Is gasoline being burned a chemical change?

Gasoline burns, reacting with oxygen in the atmosphere, generating light, heat, and converting the carbon-based molecules into carbon dioxide gas and water vapor. When substances combine like this and undergo chemical changes, we say that a chemical reaction has occurred.

How does gasoline pollute the air?

Gasoline use contributes to air pollution The vapors given off when gasoline evaporates and the substances produced when gasoline is burned (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and unburned hydrocarbons) contribute to air pollution. Burning gasoline also produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

What chemical is commonly added to gasoline to increase its octane rating?

tetraethyl lead
During WWI, it was discovered that you can add a chemical called tetraethyl lead to gasoline and significantly improve its octane rating. Cheaper grades of gasoline could be made usable by adding this chemical. This led to the widespread use of “ethyl” or “leaded” gasoline.

What hydrocarbons is used as a component of gasoline?