Can you make diesel out of petrol?

Question

If diesel is less refined than petrol and petrol is cheaper, why can you not just buy some petrol and mix some thick oil into it, increasing the viscosity and lowering the octane level?

This is probably only relevant in the UK where diesel is more expensive than petrol.

Answer 1

Diesel is more expensive everywhere.  However, (to simplify my response)  the process of "cracking" a barrel of oil results in the products of: paraffin, kerosene, diesel, gasoline.  The purity of the oil is directly related to the amount of the resulting products.  Some crude oil is so thick, (paraffin), it requires steam heat to liquefy it enough for extraction.  The crude from the mid east is very light and provides more gasoline per barrel.  However, we, (the members of our national population) just refuse to accept responsibility for the excessive demand for the production of fuel necessary to continue supplying our demands for energy.  I have a bicycle.  However, I do my grocery marketing monthly. I refuse to participate in dynamics that enrich those whose ultimate goal is to force me to be less than liberated.

Answer 2

it costs more in USA too...the reason for high cost [outside of government theft,taxes]  is the sulfur content...the pollution problem and black soot.....its now refined More than in the past to make it 50 parts per million sulfur...down from 500 ppm just a year ago

Answer 3

Diesel is more expensive in America as well.

Regardless what you are saying probably could be done-if you knew alot about chemistry and exactly how and what to mix it with. But in the end the cost would probably be greater than if you just went out and bought diesel.