Cetane Number Improvers

Economically and effectively improving ignition quality

The Cetane Number of diesel fuel is a measure of its ‘ignition quality’. High Cetane Number diesel fuels offer a variety of important engine performance and environmental benefits.

These benefits include:

• Shortened ignition delay
• Improved cold start
• Reduced white smoke during warm up
• Reduced emissions (HC, CO, NOx and PM)
• Reduced engine noise
• Reduced fuel consumption.

The use of Cetane Number Improvers (CNI) enables the ignition quality of distillate stocks to be simply and economically increased. They provide a direct and accessible means to upgrade diesel fuel performance.

The additives increase the Cetane Number of distillate fuels by improving fuel ignition characteristics in the combustion chamber during the compression stroke.

Innospec’s CI-0801 is a 2-Ethylhexyl nitrate (2-EHN) Cetane Number Improver, which can be readily used by refiners, distributors and fuel users in all types of diesel fuel. Typical treat rates are 0.025% to 0.40% volume.

Innospec is unique in the significant level of 2-EHN Cetane Number Improver it stocks in various global locations. This provides refiners with the assurance that Innospec can meet their demand for this essential product, regardless of geography.

Innospec can also provide a nitrogen-free Cetane Number Improver, CI-0808. This additive can be used to increase the Cetane Number of diesel fuels without increasing the fuel nitrogen content.

CI-0808 is a blend of Di-tert-butyl peroxide in solvent and is typically used at 0.05% to 0.50% volume.

Refinery benefits of CI-0801 and CI-0808 include:

• Greater ease in meeting diesel ignition quality, without the need to adjust blend formulation
• Greater processing flexibility where crude oil sources reduce the natural Cetane Number
• The opportunity to produce premium fuels from lower cost base stocks (i.e. light cycle oil).