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Sophie,
Octane rating is a test that is done on an experimental engine (a bit like a small car engine but in a lab). The fuel being tested is compared to a standard fuel (iso-octane). The engine is adjusted to measure the point where "knocking" takes place (I think it is the ignition timing that is adjusted but would need to check). The octane number is a measure of how likely the fuel is to cause knocking - higher octane means the fuel is less likely to cause knocking.
If you are interested in refining get into chemical engineering.
Peter
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