INTRODUCTION

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Gasoline (Motor Spirit/MS) and Diesel (High Speed Diesel/HSD) are the major transport fuels in India. Adulteration of these transport fuels at the point of sale and during transportation has become an acute problem in the country. Transport fuels are often adulterated with other cheaper products or byproduct or waste hydrocarbon stream for monetary gains. For example, gasoline (petrol) is believed to be widely adulterated with naphtha, natural gas liquids, kerosene, waste solvents, byproduct petroleum stream, etc. With large number of adulterants available in the market, both indigenous and imported, the magnitude of the problem of fuel adulteration has grown into alarming proportions in the past few years.

The Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Regulation of Supply and Distribution and Prevention of Malpractices) Order, 1998, defines adulteration as the introduction of a foreign substance into motor spirit / high speed diesel, illegally or unauthorized with the result that the product does not conform to the requirements and specifications of the product. The foreign substances are called adulterants which when introduced alter and degrade the quality of the base transport fuels.