Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization

by Ed Conway

Yes, Germany’s synthetic fuel was a thing of wonder, but on the other side of the Atlantic, American refineries were making their own breakthroughs. Among them was a complex catalytic cracking technology carried out in skyscraper-sized refinery units that produced high-grade 100-octane fuel, as opposed to the 87-octane variety coming out of places like Wesseling. An octane rating is essentially a measure of how well fuel can withstand pressure in an engine without prematurely exploding or “knocking,” as it’s sometimes called. The higher-octane fuel meant Spitfires and Lancasters could be equipped with superior engines, such as the Rolls-Royce Merlin. They could fly 15 per cent faster than their German counterparts, had 1,500 miles more range on their bombing missions and a maximum altitude 10,000 feet higher. This fuel advantage might even have swung the balance in the Battle of Britain.