Tracing its name from its German inventor, Rudolf Diesel, diesel fuel is what is used in the compression ignition engines of motor vehicles. It is important to a countrys economy, quality of life, and national security. Any fluctuation of its price will have an effect on how people live because of its direct and indirect relationship with the other consumer products. There are different factors that determine diesel fuel prices but first we have to have an understanding of how it is produced and used.
Diesel Fuel Quality and the Environment
From crude oil, there are a lot of products that can be produced. These are gasoline, diesel, other distillates (heating oil), heavy fuel oil (residual), jet fuel, liquefied petroleum gases (LPG), and other products. There are different grades or types of petroleum diesel. The Number 2 type is the main source for motor diesel fuel utilized in the United States. It is the same type used for heating buildings and in the industry.
It has relatively low sulfur content, which is an important characteristic tested for diesel fuels. In 2006, the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for diesel fuel sulfur content...