What Is the Chemical Formula for Diesel Fuel?

Diesel does not have a specific formula because it is not a single compound. Instead, diesel is made of a mix of saturated hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons.

Diesel primarily consists of stable molecules such as C₁₂H₂₂, C₁₃H₂₄ and C₁₂H₂₄. Chemists sometime describe diesel as having an average chemical composition of C₁₂H₂₃. However, this is only a general chemical description; it does not accurately reflect diesel’s chemical composition. There are two major types of diesel fuel: standard diesel fuel, which is derived from crude oil, and biodiesel, which is derived from agricultural products. Biodiesel is a cleaner alternative to standard fuel.

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