cetane number

noun

1. a measure of the ignition quality of a diesel engine fuel by comparison with various mixtures in which the alpha form of methylnaphthalene is given a standard value of 0 and cetane is given a standard value of 100.

cetane number

noun

1. a measure of the quality of a diesel fuel expressed as the percentage of cetane in a mixture of cetane and 1-methylnapthalene of the same quality as the given fuel Also calledcetane rating Compare octane number

Word History and Origins

Origin of cetane number¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Unsaturated lipids usually yield fuels with a poor cetane number and low oxidative stability, whereas saturated fatty acids produce fuels at a higher cetane number and with greater stability but at the expense of their ability to be used at cold temperatures.

From Nature