A review on the utilization of octanol and its blends in diesel engines

Abstract

The cumulative nature of science enables each discovery to build upon previous findings, fostering continuous advancement in our understanding of the world. This work contributes to this collective knowledge base by examining octanol, promising next-generation biofuel with potential to replace conventional fuels. The favorable properties of octanol including higher calorific value, greater cetane number, higher flash point, lower vapor pressure, and lower hygroscopicity compared to other alcohols make it particularly attractive as a non-petroleum-based fuel alternative. This study presents a comprehensive review of octanol applications in diesel engines, focusing on four main scenarios: (i) octanol-biodiesel blend applications, (ii) octanol-diesel blend applications, (iii) octanol-biodiesel-diesel blend applications and (iv) octanol with other blend applications. This review presents a better understanding of how octanol blends influence engine combustion, performance, and environmental pollutants compared to neat diesel in diesel engines while also discussing its production methods, demand, and supply, as well as its environmental and human impacts. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on the use of octanol as a fuel in diesel engines, highlighting its potential benefits and challenges, and identifying areas for future research.