ACEA

Association des Constructeurs Européens d’Automobiles

Acetaldehyde

An aldehyde used as a starting material in the synthesis of acetic acid, n-butyl alcohol, ethyl acetate, and other chemical compounds

Additive

An ingredient added to the fuel in small amounts during processing, blending or distribution, which enhances a specific aspect of its performance. In order to arrive at a set of properties appropriate to the fuel, it is almost always combined with other ingredients, or additives, which are mixed in during processing and fabrication.

AECC

Automobile Emissions Control by Catalyst

A/F

Air/fuel ratio

AFV

Alternative Fuel Vehicle

Agrochemical

A chemical, such as a hormone, fungicide or insecticide, that improves or protects the production of crops.

Alcohol

Alcohols are amongst the most common organic compounds. Well-known alcohols include methanol (methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol), ethanol (ethyl alcohol, or grain alcohol) and isopropyl alcohol (the common alcohol known as rubbing alcohol and used as a germicide). See ethanol.

Alkylates

A high octane gasoline blending component formed by the combination of 2 smaller molecules.  Most commonly iso-butane and butylenes to make iso-octane.

Alkylation

Olefins, such as propylene and butylenes are produced by catalytic and thermal cracking.  Alkylation refers to the process using sulphuric or hydro-fluoric acid as a catalyst to combine these olefins with isobutene to produce a high octane product known as alkylate.

Aliphatic

Any organic compound in which the main structure is a chain of carbon atoms joined to each other.

ALTENER

Alternative Energy Programme of the European Commission

API

American Petroleum Institute

AQIRP

Auto/Oil Air Quality Improvement Research Programme

ARB

Air Resources Board (California)

Aromatics

Aromatics, so called because of their distinctive perfumed smell, are a group of hydrocarbons including, mainly, benzene, toluene and the xylenes.  These are mainly formed during gasoline reforming (see also reforming).

ASTM

American Society for Testing and Materials

Atom

The smallest unit into which matter can be divided without the release of electrically charged particles, and also the smallest unit of matter that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processes. Hence the atom is the basic building block of chemistry. Atoms, also called chemical elements, can combine with one another to form compounds.

Auto Oil Programme

A technical work programme launched in 1992 by the European Commission and in which the European automobile and oil industries participated. The aim of this programme was to assess the most cost-effective measures for reducing emissions from the road transport sector to a level consistent with the EU air quality standards. Several petrochemical sectors have been involved in this process. Some measures have already been implemented; a further set of restrictions will be implemented by 2005.

Azeotrope

A liquid mixture of two or more substances that retains the same composition in the vapour state as in the liquid state when distilled or partially evaporated under a certain pressure

Benzene (C6H6)

Benzene is the simplest aromatic compound, with a ring of six carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms. It is a colourless liquid occurring naturally in fossil raw materials such as crude oil and coal, produced during processing of petroleum liquids and through chemical reactions. It is one of the most important feedstocks for the chemical industry, used for the manufacture of a wide range of everyday items, and is not itself used directly by consumers.

Biofuels

Biofuels are gas or liquid fuel (alcohols, ethers, esters, and other chemicals) made from plant material, agricultural and forestry residues, and a large portion of municipal solid and industrial waste. Biofuels include material as diverse as wood, wood waste, peat, wood sludge, agricultural waste, stray, sludge waste, municipal solid waste, landfill gases… Biofuels for transportation include bioethanol, biodiesel, biomethanol, and pyrolysis oils.

Butadiene

A flammable gaseous olefin used in making synthetic rubbers. Butadiene rubber has now completely displaced natural rubber in the manufacture of automobile tyres

Butane

Butanes are colourless, odourless, gaseous hydrocarbons. The compound in which the carbon atoms are linked in a straight chain is called normal butane, or n-butane; the branched-chain form is isobutane. Both occur in natural gas and in crude oil and are formed in large quantities in the refining of petroleum to produce gasoline.

Butylene

Also called butene, any of four isomeric compounds belonging to the series of olefinic hydrocarbons. They are formed during the cracking of petroleum to produce gasoline; they can also be prepared commercially by the catalytic dehydrogenation of butanes. The major part of the butenes is utilised for the production of octanes, which are important constituents of gasoline. On dehydrogenation, normal butenes form butadiene, the principal starting material for synthetic rubber.

C4

Any molecule containing 4 carbon atoms, e.g. butylenes.

CAA

Clean Air Act

CAFE

Clean Air for Europe

CAFE

Corporate Average Fuel Economy

CARB

California Air Resources Board

Carbon

An element forming a large number of compounds, many of which have important uses. Diamond and graphite are amongst the main forms of carbon. Coals are elemental carbon mixed with varying amounts of carbon compounds; coke and charcoal are nearly pure carbon. All organic compounds, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, contain carbon, and all plant and animal cells consist of carbon compounds and their polymers.

Carbon monoxide (CO)

A colourless, highly poisonous gas. When the oxygen supply in insufficient, carbon monoxide is formed in combustion of fossil fuel and carbon-containing materials.

Catalyst

A substance which aids or promotes a chemical reaction without forming part of the final product. It enables the reaction to take place faster, remains unchanged at the end of the reaction and can provide control by increasing desirable reactions and decreasing undesirable reactions.  In vehicles, it most often refers to the device placed in the exhaust gas to reduce the regulated emissions.

CEC

Co-ordinating European Council (Test Methods for Fuels/Lubricants)

CEFIC

Conseil Européen des Fédérations de l’Industrie Chimique

CEN

European Committee for Standardization / Comité Européen de la Normalisation

Chemical element

See atom.

Chemical reaction

A chemical process in which substances are changed into different substances. Chemical reactions are manifested by the disappearance of properties characteristic of the starting materials and the appearance of new properties that distinguish the products. Examples of chemical reactions include burning of wood, fermentation of crops to make alcohol, tarnishing of silver, digestion of food and the synthesis of polystyrene plastics.

Chlorine

Chlorine, an inorganic chemical that can be obtained both naturally and synthetically, has a huge variety of uses, as a disinfectant and purifier, in plastics and polymers, solvents, agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals, as well as an intermediate in manufacturing other organic and inorganic substances. Chlorine is also used worldwide to purify water supplies as the ultimate defence against waterborne microbiological infection.

Clean fuel

So-called clean fuels are among the instruments introduced by EU Member States to combat air pollution problems arising from increases in road transport. See Auto-Oil Programme.

CO

Carbon Monoxide

CO2

Carbon Dioxide

Coal

A black or brownish black solid, combustible carbon-rich substance formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter without access to air. Coal is one of the most important of the primary fossil fuels. It is indispensable to life and constitutes humankind's main source of energy.

Compound

A compound (or molecule) is a combination of two or more chemical elements (atoms) held together by chemical bonds.

CONCAWE

Conservation of Clean Air and Water - Europe

Cracking

The process of breaking down large molecules of oil into smaller ones. When this process is achieved by the application of heat only, it is known as thermal cracking. If a catalyst is used as well it is known as catalytic cracking. Cracking causes molecular decomposition and recombination to produce a range of more useful fuel component. Cracking is the basic process taking place in crackers.

Crude oil

A mixture of comparatively volatile liquid hydrocarbons that occurs in the Earth's crust and is extracted for use as fuel and various petroleum products. Typically, crude oil contains, in various percentages, a mixture of naphtha, kerosene, middle distillates and fuel oils.

Dehydrogenation

An organic chemical reaction in which a pair of hydrogen atoms are removed from a molecule.

DeNOx

Catalyst/trap system that reduces NOx in lean exhaust

DIN

Deutsches Institute for Normung

Distillate

The liquid obtained through distillation.

Distillation

The process of boiling a liquid and condensing and collecting the vapour. This process is used to purify liquids and to separate liquid mixtures. In the oil industry, distillation is used to separate crude oil, which is a mixture of hydrocarbons with different boiling temperatures, into groups of hydrocarbons that boil between two specified boiling points

EEA

European Environment Agency (EU)

EEB

European Environmental Bureau

EEV

Enhanced Environmentally-friendly Vehicle

EFEG

Environmental Fuels Expert Group (European Commission)

ENGVA

European Natural Gas Vehicle Association

EP

European Parliament

EPA

Environment Protection Agency (United States)

EPEFE

European Programme on Emissions, Fuels and Engine Technologies

Esters

Any of a class of organic compounds made from the chemical reaction between an alcohol and an organic acid.

ETBE

Ethyl-tertiary-butyl-ether.

Ethane

A gaseous hydrocarbon, the second most important constituent of natural gas, it also occurs dissolved in petroleum oils and as a by-product of oil refinery operations and of the carbonisation of Coal. Ethane is a major raw material for the huge ethylene petrochemical industry, which produces such important products as polyethylene plastic, ethylene glycol, and ethyl alcohol.

Ethanol (EtOH)

Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol is manufactured by synthesis from ethylene. It is an oxygenated hydrocarbon used in a wide variety of high performance solvent applications (toiletries and cosmetics, paints, lacquer thinners, printing inks, dyes, detergents, disinfectants and pharmaceuticals), as a chemical raw material for the production of a range of monomers and solvents, and is essential in pharmaceutical purification. In transportation, ethanol is used as a vehicle fuel by itself, blended with gasoline, or as a gasoline octane enhancer and oxygenate

Ethers

Ethers, like alcohols and phenols are oxygenated derivatives. An ether has two hydrocarbon groups bonded to the oxygen atom. Diethyl ether (also called simply ether) is the most common variety. It is widely used as a solvent and as a volatile, combustible starting fluid for engines. Methyl-tert-butyl-ether (MTBE) is used in gasoline to boost the octane rating and to decrease the toxic emissions in the exhaust.

Ethyl acetate

A volatile ester used as solvents for resins, lacquers, paints, and varnishes

Ethylene

Also called ethene, ethylene is the simplest member of the olefinic hydrocarbon series and one of the most important raw materials of the organic chemical industry. It occurs in both petroleum and natural gas, but the bulk of the industrial material is produced by heating of higher hydrocarbons. Ethylene can be polymerised to the plastic material polyethylene, reacted with oxygen to give ethylene oxide, or with benzene to give ethylbenzene.

EUCAR

European Council for Automotive R&D (ACEA)

EUROPIA

European Petroleum Industry Association

EZEV

Equivalent Zero Emissions Vehicle (CARB standard)

FBP

Final Boiling Point

FCC

Fluid Catalytic Cracking - A petroleum refining process, succeeding thermal cracking, which provides a highly efficient means of converting heavy gas oils into naphtha.

Feedstock

Raw material used in a processing plant. The most important feedstock for the European petrochemical industry is naphtha.

FFV

Flexible Fuel Vehicle

Fossil fuel

A general term for buried combustible geologic deposits of organic materials occurring within the Earth's crust, that can be used as a source of energy. They all contain carbon and were formed as a result of geologic processes from decayed plants and animals that have been converted to crude oil, coal, natural gas, or heavy oils hundreds of millions of years ago

Fraction

In the oil industry, fraction refers to one of the portions of fractional distillation having a restricted boiling range

Fuel

A material used to produce heat or power by burning.

Gasoline

Also called gas or petrol, gasoline is a mixture of volatile, flammable liquid hydrocarbons derived from petroleum, with or without small quantities of additives, and used as motor fuel. It is also used as a solvent for oils and fats.

GDI

Gasoline Direct Injection

GTL

Gas to Liquids

Hydrocarbon (HC)

An organic compound that consists exclusively of the elements carbon and hydrogen. Generally, the term hydrocarbon is used for the chemicals that are derived from natural gas, oil and coal.

Methane

A colourless, odourless, flammable gas that occurs abundantly in nature as the chief constituent of natural gas as a component of firedamp in coal mines, and as a product of the decomposition of organic matter. Methane is used as a fuel and as a starting material in chemical synthesis.

Methanol (MeOH)

Methanol, a colourless alcohol, is a chemical used as a starting point for the production of  a wide range of chemicals, and is used as a solvent in many applications. It is also used to produce MTBE.

Molecule

Chemical combination of two or more atoms of the same chemical element (such as O2 - which is Oxygen) or different chemical elements (such as H2O - which is water).

MON

Motor Octane Number

Monomer

A molecule that can combine with others to form a polymer

MTBE

Methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether

MVEG

Motor Vehicle Emissions Group (of the European Commission)

Naphtha

Naphtha is a petroleum distillate containing principally aliphatic hydrocarbons. It is the primary source from which gasoline is derived.

Natural gas

Colourless, highly flammable gaseous hydrocarbon consisting primarily of methane, ethane, and small amounts of heavier gaseous hydrocarbon compounds such as propane. Ethane and propane, also called natural gas liquids (NGL), are converted into ethylene and propylene by steam cracking. It is a type of petroleum that commonly occurs in association with crude oil.

NGO

Non-Governmental Association

Nitrogen oxide (NOx)

Nitrogen oxides are formed during high temperature combustion processes from the oxidation of nitrogen in the air or fuel. The principal source is road traffic. Other important sources are power stations, heating plants and industrial processes. They interact with volatile organic carbon in the presence of sunlight and contribute to the ozone formation

NPRA

National Petroleum Refiners Association (USA)

OBD

On-board diagnostics

OECD

Organisation for International Co-operation and Development

OEM

Original Equipment Manufacturer

Octane

For a gasoline engine to work efficiently, gasoline must burn smoothly without premature detonation, or knocking. Severe knocking can dissipate power output and even cause damage to the engine. When gasoline engines became more powerful in the 1920s, it was discovered that the most extreme knocking effect was produced by a fuel composed of pure normal heptane, while the least knocking effect was produced by pure isooctane. This discovery led to the development of the octane scale for defining gasoline quality.

OFP

Ozone Forming Potential

Olefins

Olefins are unsaturated materials found in various gasoline blending components.  Their tendency to react further to form or resins in usually controlled by the addition of additives.

Organic

Organic chemicals are based on carbon compounds and form the backbone of the petrochemicals industry, while inorganic chemicals are non-carbon chemicals, such as chlorine, alkalis or hydrogen peroxide. Every chemical is either organic or inorganic

Oxygenates

Oxygenates are compounds containing oxygen in a chain of carbon and hydrogen atoms. Today, oxygenates are blended into gasoline in two forms: alcohols or ethers.
In alcohols, each oxygen atom is linked to a carbon atom and a hydrogen atom, forming a carbon-oxygen-hydrogen sequence. Ethanol is the most commonly used alcohol oxygenate. In ethers, each oxygen atom is linked to two carbon atoms, forming a carbon-oxygen-carbon sequence. Methyl tertiary butyl ether, or MTBE, is the most commonly used ether oxygenate

Ozone (O3)

A key component of photochemical smog, ozone is formed by a complex reaction between nitrogen dioxide and hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight. It is considered to be a criteria pollutant in the troposphere—the lowermost layer of the atmosphere—but not in the upper atmosphere, where it occurs naturally and serves to block harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun. Because nitrogen dioxide and hydrocarbons are emitted in significant quantities by motor vehicles, photochemical smog is common in cities like Los Angeles, where sunshine is ample and highway traffic is heavy. Certain geographic features, such as mountains that impede air movement, and weather conditions, such as temperature inversions in the troposphere, contribute to the trapping of air pollutants and the formation of photochemical smog

PAH

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon

Petrochemical

An organic compound that has been derived from petroleum or natural gas. There are almost 200 chemicals that can be so described and they include many simple hydrocarbons (e.g. methane, Ethane), aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g. benzene, toluene), naphthenes and several of their derivatives

Petroleum

A generic term applied to oil and oil products in all forms, such as crude oil, unfinished oils, petroleum products, natural gas plant liquids, and non-hydrocarbon compounds blended into finished petroleum products. See crude

Plastics

Any of numerous synthetic materials that consist of giant molecules called polymers, with extremely long chains of repeating units derived from short molecules. Plastics can be formed into products by moulding or otherwise shaping. The two major divisions of plastics are the thermosetting resins and thermoplastic resins. Raw materials for plastics include coal and cellulose, but by far the chief source is petroleum. Because of their easy manipulation, economical manufacture, low specific gravity, and resistance to corrosion, plastics have replaced metal, wood, glass, and other materials in many applications. An immense array of plastic industrial and consumer goods is available.

PM

Particulate matter

PM₁₀

Particulate matter < 10 micron mean diameter

Polyethylene

A polymer of ethylene especially any of various lightweight thermoplastics that are resistant to chemicals and moisture, have good insulating properties, and are used especially in packaging and insulation.

Polymers

When certain individual molecules (monomers) come together and link up in a chain-like fashion they form a polymer. The chemical reaction that forms a polymer is called polymerisation. There are natural polymers (often referred to as biopolymers), such as cellulose, certain rubbers and DNA, and synthetic polymers, such as polystyrene and fiberglass.

Polyurethane

A synthetic compound derived from toluene, belonging to the family of organic polymers. Polyurethanes are used to make the foam in furniture, mattresses, car seats, building insulation, coatings for floors and furniture and refrigerators. They are also used in artificial sports tracks, jogging shoes, and in roller blade wheels.

Ppm

Parts per million

Propane

A colourless, gaseous hydrocarbon. It is separated in large quantities from natural gas, light crude oil, and oil-refinery gases and is commercially available as liquefied propane or as a major constituent of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). As with ethane, propane is an important raw material for the ethylene petrochemical industry. The decomposition of propane in hot tubes to form ethylene also yields another important product, propylene

Propylene

Also called propene, a colourless, flammable, gaseous hydrocarbon obtained from petroleum; large quantities of propylene are used in the manufacture of resins, fibres, and plastics (see polyolefins), and numerous other chemical products.

RBOB

Reformulated (gasoline) blended for oxygenate blending

Refining

Conversion of crude oil into useful products, such as naphtha, the most important feedstock for the petrochemical industry. Every refinery begins with the separation of crude oil into different fractions by distillation. The fractions are further treated to convert them into mixtures of more useful products by various methods such as cracking, reforming, alkylation, polymerisation and isomerisation. These mixtures of new compounds are then separated using methods such as fractionation and solvent extraction

Reforming

Resin

Any natural or synthetic organic compound consisting of a non-crystalline or viscous liquid substance. Natural resins are organic substances that are transparent or translucent, formed in plant secretions. Synthetic resins comprise a large class of synthetic products that have some of the physical properties of natural resins but are different chemically. Most synthetic resins are polymers. The term resin dates from the early years of the plastics industry; it originally referred to naturally occurring amorphous solids such as shellac and rosin. See also plastics.

Risk assessment

Substances on European priority lists must undergo an in-depth risk assessment covering the risks posed by the priority chemical to man (covering workers, consumers and man exposed via the environment) and the environment (covering the terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric eco-systems and accumulation through the food chain). This risk assessment follows the framework set out in European Commission Regulation (EC) 1488/94 and implemented in the detailed Technical Guidance Documents (TGD) on Risk Assessment for New and Existing Substances. The first draft of the risk assessment reports are written by the Member States which act as "rapporteurs". The Commission mediates the meetings, which attempt to reach consensus on the conclusions of the risk assessments.

RON

Research Octane Number

Rubber

Synthetic rubber, as opposed to natural rubber (obtained from the exudations of certain tropical trees), is derived from petroleum and natural gas. Because of its elasticity, resilience, and toughness, rubber is the basic constituent of the tires used in automotive vehicles, aircraft, and bicycles. Rubber is also used in electrical insulation, and because it is waterproof, it is a favoured material for shoe soles.

RVP

Reid Vapour Pressure

SAE

Society of Automotive Engineers (USA)

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid that has the ability to dissolve, suspend or extract other materials, without chemical change to the material or solvent. Solvents make it possible to process, apply, clean or separate materials. Water is an inorganic solvent. Organic solvents include hydrocarbon solvents, oxygenated solvents and chlorinated solvents.

SOx

Sulphur Oxides

Steam cracking

Steam cracking, a further application of thermal cracking, is a petrochemical process used to produce olefinic raw materials (e.g. propylene, ethylene) from various feedstocks for petrochemicals manufacture. The feedstocks range from ethane to vacuum gas oil, with heavier feeds giving higher yields of by-products such as naphtha. The most common feeds are ethane, butane, and naphtha.

Substance

The word "substance" is used to mean chemical elements and their compounds in the natural state or obtained by any production process, including any additive necessary to preserve the stability of the product. In the European legislation, only the word "substance" is used.

Synthesis/Synthetic

The production of a substance by the union of chemical elements, groups or simpler compounds, or by the degradation of a complex compound.

TAEE

Tertiary-amyl-ethyl-ether (biofuel equivalent of TAME)

TAME

Tertiary-amyl-methyl-ether.

TBA

Tertiary-butyl-alcohol

TEL

Tetraethyl lead

Thermal Cracking

Thermal cracking is a petroleum refining process used to break up heavy oil molecules into lighter, more valuable fractions (e.g. gasoline, kerosene) by the use of high temperature without the aid of catalysts. It is used to convert gas oils into naphtha.

Thermoplastic

A plastic which is solid when cold, but which may flow and be re-formed multiple times with the application of heat. Some plastics are dissolved in solvents such as water (a latex) to aid their application.

Thermoset

Thermosets are a type of plastic that is the reaction product of two or more chemical compounds. While reacting and while still in a liquid shape thermoset plastics are moulded to form a wide variety of parts. Once the reaction is complete, thermoset plastics form durable solid articles (they "set"). Unsaturated polyester resins that are used to make glass reinforced plastics are an example of a thermoset plastic.

TNO

Road Vehicle Research Institute (NL)

Toluene

Toluene, a colourless liquid, is an aromatic hydrocarbon used extensively as starting material for the manufacture of industrial chemicals. Its major end-products are polyurethanes.

TUV

Technischer Uberwachungsverein (German Testing Organisation)

UBA

Umwelbundesamt (D)

UL

Unleaded gasoline

ULEV

Ultra low-emission vehicle

ULP

Unleaded petrol

ULSP

Ultra low sulphur petrol

UST

Underground Storage Tanks

VOC

Volatile Organic Compound - The term "Volatile organic compounds" refers to organic compounds that readily evaporate. VOCs include pure hydrocarbons, partially oxidised hydrocarbons, and organic compounds containing chlorine, sulphur or nitrogen. They are widely used as fuels (e.g., propane and gasoline), as paint thinners and solvents, and in the production of plastics. VOC emissions have to be carefully controlled so as not to contribute to air toxicity and urban smog

WHO

World Health Organisation

Xylene

Xylene, a colourless liquid, is an aromatic hydrocarbon of which there are several forms. Xylenes are used as solvents, as components of aviation fuel, and as raw materials for the manufacture of dyes, fibres and films. Of the different forms of xylenes, paraxylene is commercially the most important.

ZEV

Zero Emissions Vehicle