Why is 95-octane gasoline green?
2 Answers
95-octane gasoline is green because: the gasoline contains impurities and is of poor quality. The purest gasoline should be colorless, and a light yellow tint is normal—the lighter, the better. Below is relevant information about 95-octane gasoline: 1. Definition: 95-octane gasoline consists of 95% isooctane and 5% n-heptane. High-octane gasoline should be used in engines with high compression ratios. Using low-octane gasoline in high-compression engines can cause abnormal combustion, leading to knocking, increased fuel consumption, and reduced driving power. 2. Sulfur content: This is the most critical environmental indicator for automotive gasoline. To further enhance the capability of vehicle exhaust purification systems and reduce pollutant emissions, the standard has lowered the sulfur content limit from 50ppm in Phase IV to 10ppm, an 80% reduction.
Speaking of the color of 95-octane gasoline, it's quite interesting. I used to wonder why the liquid coming out of the nozzle was light green, but later I specifically looked it up and found out that this isn't the natural color of gasoline at all. In fact, all gasoline is initially transparent and colorless when refined, but refineries add a tiny amount of green dye to 95-octane. This isn't for aesthetics—it's mainly for gas station workers. Gas stations store several types of fuel like 92-octane, 95-octane, and 98-octane, and the nozzles and tanks look very similar. If the wrong fuel is dispensed, it could be extremely dangerous. For example, 98-octane is usually dyed light yellow, while 92-octane is mostly transparent, so the green color instantly identifies 95-octane. However, a heads-up: under dim gas station lighting, it might appear transparent, so always double-check the nozzle label to be sure.
