As a non-renewable fossil fuel, there is a global push toward fuel conservation and the development of alternatives like electric vehicles and biofuels.

), and particulate matter, contributing to global warming and smog.

This measures a fuel's resistance to "knocking" or "pinging" during combustion. Higher octane numbers indicate the fuel can withstand more compression before detonating.

Hydrocarbons containing at least one carbon-carbon double bond. Naphthenes: Cyclic alkanes.

Modern gasoline is rarely just "straight-run" from a distillation tower. To meet high demand and performance standards, refineries use several chemical processes:

The initial separation of crude oil into different "fractions" based on boiling points.

While gasoline revolutionized transportation, its use has significant implications: Combustion releases carbon dioxide ( CO2cap C cap O sub 2 ), nitrogen oxides ( NOxcap N cap O sub x

The quality of gasoline is measured by several critical factors: