Heat of Combustion and GC-MS of Regular, Regular-Plus and Premium Gasoline

Gasoline samples from three different gas stations and of different octane rates (regular, regular-plus and premium) were purchased, analyzed using GC-MS and combusted in a bomb calorimeter. In this experiment, junior physical chemistry students used a bomb calorimeter to calculate heats of combustion and become familiar with the theory associated with this technique. Students also obtained GC-MS spectra of the gasoline samples for which the conditions are provided here. The identification of eighteen major compounds most often found in gasoline, with octane as a reference, was achieved and the results are summarized in this paper. This experiment brings real-world into the teaching laboratory.