What does fuel volatility mean?

Question

What does fuel volatility mean?

Answer 1

something nerdy

Answer 2

It means the extent to which it releases vapour, particularly at ambient temperatures.  If there is significant vapour it can make the fuel more hazardous as the vapour can easily catch fire if there is a source of ignition.  The so called flash point is a measure of this.  Gasoline is a very volatile fuel whereas diesel is not.

Answer 3

how well it burns in simple terms

Answer 4

It means either the fuel evaporates at a low temperature. Or it can is apt to be potentially dangerous.

Answer 5

It's all about how easily it combusts at a given temperature.  For the nerdy, it's often measured in RVP (Reid Vapour Pressure).  Lower RVP means less volatile.  Petrol specifications are adjusted at set dates in the year by refiners to optimise the volatility - too high for a given ambient temperature and you may get vapour lock (vapour in your fuel lines instead of liquid fuel). - Too low and your engine performance will drop off due to poor ignition properties.

Answer 6

It's a measure of the speed at which a fuel evaporates (burns).