RON Improver Test Data: INTRON® Octane Booster Series

Octane boosters raise the octane number of gasoline, so the fuel resists knock in high-compression engines. Refiners and blenders use them to bring gasoline to the required grade at a lower cost than new process units. The INTRON® Octane Booster Series from PETRONAX is based on N-Methyl Aniline (NMA) – one of the most efficient octane improvers per unit volume. Here is why it works so well.

1. High efficiency at a low treat rate

N-Methyl Aniline is an aromatic amine. It slows down the radical chain reactions that lead to self-ignition of the fuel-air mixture, so knock is delayed. Because the molecule is so effective, a small dose gives a clear octane gain. That means less additive, less tank space and lower freight cost per octane point.

2. Measured results in a reference fuel

To evaluate the RON improver under MON test conditions, we dosed it into a reference mixture of isooctane and n-heptane (70:30). The Motor Octane Number (MON) rose as follows:

Dose, % by weight	MON	Increase, units
0 (reference)	70.0	–
1.05	71.6	+1.6
1.5	72.0	+2.0
1.8	72.4	+2.4

The gain in commercial gasoline depends on the base fuel and is usually measured as RON (ASTM D2699). We therefore confirm the treat rate with a test of the customer’s fuel. Our recommended maximum dose is 1.3 % by weight.

3. Ashless and metal-free

Unlike lead, manganese or iron antiknock agents, N-Methyl Aniline contains no metal. It leaves no metallic residue that could foul spark plugs, damage catalytic converters or disturb oxygen sensors.

4. Flexible blending

The INTRON® Octane Booster Series blends with conventional gasoline streams and can be used together with oxygenates and other performance additives. It is dosed with standard pumps or additive dosing systems at refineries and terminals, batch-wise or continuously.

5. Consistent quality and documentation

PETRONAX analyses every batch of this RON improver before release. Each shipment comes with a Certificate of Analysis, a Safety Data Sheet and the transport documents for the destination market.

What to check before use

The permitted N-Methyl Aniline content in gasoline differs by market, and some countries restrict it. Blenders and importers must therefore check local fuel rules first. N-Methyl Aniline is also a toxic substance: handle it with gloves, eye protection and good ventilation, and read the Safety Data Sheet before use.

Learn more in our guide to N-Methyl Aniline as an octane booster, see the product page or request a quote.

How to compare a RON improver in your gasoline

First decide whether the contract specifies research octane number, motor octane number or both. Then test untreated and treated portions of the same gasoline. Keep the fuel and method together on the report so that a MON result is never presented as a RON increase.

Choosing between RON and MON

ASTM D2699 measures research octane number; ASTM D2700 measures motor octane number. When requesting a RON improver trial, specify the required method and identify the base gasoline. The two numbers are not interchangeable.

INTRON octane boosters · ASTM gasoline octane methods