Section: BIOFUELS

Fuel Property Comparison for Ethanol, Gasoline and No. 2 Diesel

Property
Chemical Formula
Molecular Weight
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Specific gravity, 60 F/60 F
Density, lb/gal @ 60 F
Boiling temperature, F
Reid vapor pressure, psi
Research octane no.
Motor octane no.
(R + M)/2
Cetane no.(1)
Fuel in water, volume %
Water in fuel, volume %
Freezing point, F
Centipoise @ 60 F
Flash point, closed cup, F
Autoignition temperature, F
Lower
Higher
Btu/gal @ 60 F
Btu/lb @ 60 F
Btu/lb air for stoichiometric mixture @ 60 F
Higher (liquid fuel-liquid water) Btu/lb
Lower (liquid fuel-water vapor) Btu/lb
Higher (liquid fuel-liquid water) Btu/gal
Lower (liquid fuel-water vapor) Btu/gal @ 60 F
Mixture in vapor state, Btu/cubic foot @ 68 F
Fuel in liquid state, Btu/lb or air
Specific heat, Btu/lb F
Stoichiometric air/fuel, weight
Volume % fuel in vaporized stoichiometric mixture

Ethanol
C2H5OH
46.07
52.2
13.1
34.7
0.8
6.61
172
2.3
108
92
100
-100
100
-173.2
1.19
55
793
4.3
19
2,378
396
44
12,800
11,500
84,100
76,000b
92.9
1,280
0.57
9
6.5

Gasoline
C4 to C12
100105
8588
1215
0
0.720.78
6.06.5
80437
815
90100
8190
8694
520
Negligible
Negligible
-40
0.370.44b
-45
495
1.4
7.6
900
150
10
18,80020,400
18,00019,000
124,800
115,000
95.2
1,290
0.48
14.7b
2

No. 2 Diesel
C3 to C25
200
8487
3316
0
0.810.89
6.77.4
370650
0.2
--N/A
4055
Negligible
Negligible
-4030a
2.64.1
165
600
1
6
700
100
8
19,20020000
18,00019,000
138,700
128,400
96.9c

0.43
14.7

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/properties.html
Pour Point, ASTM D 97.
Calculated.
c
Based on Cetane.
a
b

Biomass Energy Data Book -- 2010 -- http://cta.ornl.gov/bedb